Carbon Offsets

Let me tell you why Carbon Offsets suck:

The best analogy I've heard is "papal indulgences"—the guilty pay for their sins (quite literally) and feel much better about it.

Here's the deal, there are three basic approaches to carbon 'credits'.

1. A company invests in alternate energy sources, be it windmills, or electricity, etc.
2. A company plants tree. My favorite quote regarding tree planting comes from Woodlands expert Oliver Rackham: "Telling people to plant trees is like telling them to drink more water to keep down rising sea levels." It's a good idea, but it just isn't going to do it.
3. A company pays another company to take their trash and dump it. Thus, company A has a lower environmental impact score, while company B has a higher one. This may seem unappealing to company B, however, if there's always the incentives programs to lower their own carbon emissions.

And, the hilarious (in a sad, sad, way) thing about it all: these companies are passing the bill on to the consumers ("Want to reduce your carbon footprint? Buy carbon credits to offset your flight to Paris.") and then get the credit for participating in carbon offset programs.

Join me in my cause: 1 strong against carbon offsets!