What is your opinion on Carbon Offsets?

[TheFarseer]

I must admit my knowledge on this is limited, but it sounds a little questionable. If you ride in a private jet, you need to pay someone to plant a tree or something that will take carbon out of the atmosphere? Why not plant a tree and take a first class flight? Wouldn't that be even better?

[Deja Q]

1. "Carbon credits". Think "Credit cards".

:think:

[Captain Angry]

2. It's a way to support companies and organizations that are doing green things.

If you have no access to areas to plant trees, you can pay somebody who does.

Basically, you can either take the flight.

Or you can take the flight, knowing it will generate pollution, and send somebody a few bucks to do something to offset it over time.

I have done quite a bit to reduce the pollution and waste that I generate. A carbon offset lets me pay somebody a little bit to invest in green projects to make up for the pollution I haven't offset myself.

[IndyOp]

3. I'd rather donate to someone who'll build a solar or wind facility that will

create way, way more clean power than my flight used up.

You can pick the particular project you want to help fund at NativeEnergy... http://www.nativeenergy.com/

Carbon offsets - invested in wisely - will push us towards a really clean energy future.

Trees are always great -- plant a tree yourself & donate to a good carbon offset organization.

:hi:

[cgrindley]

4. That they're stupid

it's just a great way for people to not actually do anything and then jerk off about it.

[Cameron27]

6. I'm beginning to think the same thing.

It may also become a divisive issue between those who can afford them and those who can't.

[TheFarseer]

11. didn't want to say it but yeah

Seems like an easy way to rationalize behavior that is totally contrary to their own message of polluting less.

[TahitiNut]

5. The best global warming money can buy.

:shrug:

[melody]

7. Reminds me of Betty Crocker points

You get them when you buy Betty Crocker brands, but it takes a billion of them to do anything
and meanwhile they have to be kept track of.

[IndyOp]

8. A good article on how to be an aware buyer of carbon offsets...

It, again, makes the point that planting trees isn't enough and that people to need invest carefully in carbon offsets. I strongly believe that supporting green energy projects is a very good investment.

Are green-minded folks getting their money's worth?
http://www.star-telegram.com/408/story/180054.html
By CATHY FRISINGER

Wind farms, like this one in Illinois, are just one of several alternative-energy programs that carbon offsets can support.

1. Fill up Prius. Check.
2. Buy compact fluorescent bulbs for bathroom. Check.
3. Remember to bring cloth bag to farmers market. Check.
4. Buy TerraPass. ... TerraPass? Huh?

For the young and green, buying a TerraPass, or some other carbon offset to "zero out" their personal carbon output, is a growing part of living an environmentally aware lifestyle.

But unlike widely accepted earth-friendly actions, such as buying fuel-efficient cars and dialing back the thermostat, some environmentalists question the efficacy of voluntary carbon offsets.

Amid growing buzz about carbon offsets, a looming concern that consumers are sometimes not getting much for their money in this unregulated new industry and a fear that one company's plan to "seed" an ocean region with iron might actually cause environmental harm, the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, led by Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., last week held hearings on carbon offsets.

<snip>

Carbon offset = An action, such as planting a tree, that someone can take to cancel out the carbon dioxide, or "carbon footprint," that he or she creates.

Where to purchase carbon offsets:

Driving Green, www.drivinggreen.com. The site has a calculator that lets you figure out how much greenhouse gas your vehicle produces each year. You can then purchase a comparable offset. Cited by Environmental Defense as a reliable carbon-offset company.

Carbonfund, www.carbonfund.org. The site has a calculator that lets you determine your carbon footprint. The site says you can designate that your money go toward one of three types of offset programs: renewable energy (wind, solar), energy efficiency (programs that reduce use of fossil fuels) and reforestation. Cited by Environmental Defense as a reliable carbon-offset company

Native Energy, www.nativeenergy.com. The site has a lifestyle calculator and a travel calculator. You can designate that your offset money go toward a wind-farm project or a dairy farm methane-recovery project. Carbon-offset money for the recent Live Earth concerts went to Native Energy.

TerraPass, www.terrapass.com. In addition to selling offsets for automobile emissions, TerraPass has a calculator that allows you to calculate and purchase offsets for air travel. At TerraPass, you can also purchase offsets for your dorm room or your wedding.

For the Environmental Defense list of recommendations, go to www.environmentaldefense.org, click on "global warming," then click on "make changes that matter," then click on "neutralize the rest."

[hiaasenrocks]

9. Selling indulgences.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

10. It's greenwashing and yuppie guilt-erasing

"Look, I took an unnecessaryt trip in a private jet, but it's okay, because I'm going to plant a tree."

It's as if a company were to say, "We're spewing horribly toxic pollutants into the air, but that's okay, because we donate $10,000 annually to foundations that aid research into lung diseases."

I'd be really impressed if a celebrity gave up private jets to travel by private rail car or rode a bicycle or scooter locally instead of driving an expensive sports car.

[BlooInBloo]

12. When/if they catch on with lots of people/companies, DUers will then rip on them.

[WinkyDink]

13. Total scam, is what I think. Who's keeping track? Who will get the pollution?

[Luke_R]

14. It's a way for people to say

"Hey, look at me, everyone. I'm not so bad. I HELP the environment. So buy my products/vote for me."

[Help me help Earth]

15. I sold them on eBay and made $10.

None of you bid. For shame!

Seriously though, I'm all for them. Businesses are more likely to adopt green policies if they can sell their excess pollution then if they are dragged kicking and screaming into reform via regulation. It also stops right wingers from dropping their "market efficiency" bull and leaves them with little to complain about.