Comments on Paying Poor Folks To Offset Carbon So You Don't Have To

The LA Times just did a fascinating story on carbon offsets: Can you buy a greener conscience?

IMHO, carbon offsets are the kind of environmentalist gesture that's more about feeling good than doing good. I could come up with a few analogies besides indulgences, but imagine that you could clear your conscience for eating an endangered species of fish by making a contribution toward an organization that tries to save another endangered species of fish. Doesn't quite pencil out for me.

At least the peasants no longer have to waste money they don't have on diesel.

I guess this is sort of like imposing a carbon tax on yourself, except that the proceeds to into an ostensibly carbon-reducing activity, instead of into the general fund.

If you're really conscientious about doing it, and the added cost changes your behavior, then I suppose it's worthwhile. However, I suspect those two things rarely happen together.

@1: I've long suspected that most carbon offsets are scams. There's no accountability whatsoever, no agency that checks up on them to see that they're doing what they say they are.

Carbon offsets have always allowed the new breed of yuppie "progressives" to maintain extravagant lifestyles free from guilt.

Consider real, personal offsets: Bike, run, or walk to work everyday, and then fly somewhere once a year for a vacation. I have no idea if the math works out on this, but it probably comes a lot closer to where we need to be.

In the end, a changing climate will force us to change our lifestyles. This is personal responsibility, people: Don't pass the buck off to poor people in the developing world. Any progressive who can't accept that is just as self-centered as the Republicans.

@5: What you talk about is laudable. Unfortunately, even if everyone in the U.S. did this, our efforts would still be canceled out by the industrial revolution China is going through.

Bring back the dirigible.

Want to cut your carbon emissions?

1. Fly on a more efficient plane - the new Boeing planes use HALF the fuel.

2. Once over the ocean take the high-speed passenger train that uses 1/10th the energy to move you around.

3. Set the nearest Republicant on fire.

Admittedly, #3 does cause a short-term increase, but it causes a net long-term decrease. Remember, use non-toxic fuel to do #3.

Sigh. I feel so goddamn guilty. Before I became an insurance agent, I walked to work and any place within two miles, and rode the bus for any place farther. Now I drive about 1,500 miles a month for work. Maybe if I go veggie, I can make up for it.

I write about this a lot on my site that covers global warming (http://www.globalwarming-factorfiction.com) and I am typically very skeptical of carbon trading schemes.

P.T. Barnum supposedly said that there was a sucker born every minute. Sometimes, when I read about carbon credits, I am not sure who the sucker is - the person buying, the person selling, or the general public for thinking it is helping!

In order for credits to be feasible and to be more than a “feel good” gesture, we need solid accounting, accountability, and penalties. We have none of that now and this article makes this painfully clear. We cannot allow credits to be used for minor contributions to a project. The credit must go to the cost of reducing the greenhouse gas.

Gitai @ 9

nah, think of the beans, and then think of the Methane.....

@9 - just get a plug-in hybrid and you'll cut your carbon emission in half.

you want to talk about a worthless -- maybe even counterproductive -- feel good measure:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270161208439

fergie auctions her hummer to support some environmental cause.

what?!? my favorite part is how there is another hummer in the background of one of the pics.

she is only encouraging the lifestyle but advertising that this ride has bee pimped out. or whatever you are supposed to say when modifying a vehicle.

if she really cared, she would donate the cost of the hummer (she has enough money to), and then trash this one. or instead of trashing it maybe donate it to a charity that needs to use a hummer to meet it's ends.