Saturday 27 December 2008

Cheating offsets

As we hurtle towards climate change catastrophe (experts are now saying a 6C rise in on the cards), we are told that we achieve carbon "neutrality" by "offsetting" our carbon usage through paying an agency to plant trees in developing country. This we are assured will capture the equivalent amount of carbon we just expended flying to see a friend for the weekend. Thus allowing us to continue carbon rich lifestyles at no cost to the planet. If you think this idea is dubious check out http://www.cheatneutral.com

The corollary of carbon offsets is that if one cheats on a friend or your wife you can offset this activity through buying a cheat offset. Just as buying cheat offsets will not save a marital relationship, carbon offsetting will not save the planet. It may even encourage us to damage it...

2 comments:

cKasterine said...

Carbon Offsetting makes as much sense as Derivative Swaps and we know where that landed us.

Dmitri Kasterine said...

The temperature at the summit of Mount Mansfield, Stowe, Vermont, 4,395 ft and the principle ski slope, was 42 degrees F yesterday. Normal, about 20 degrees F. Here it was 63 degrees F, nearly double the normal.