You probably know that you should do what you can to reduce your carbon footprint – the greenhouse gas emissions produced by your lifestyle. After you’ve done that, you can negate what remains by supporting projects to reduce emissions elsewhere – that is, by purchasing "carbon offsets". This works because, from a global warming perspective, it doesn’t matter where the carbon comes from.
Carbon offsets are a good idea, but it’s hard to know whether a given project truly reduces carbon emissions. There are no unified standards. To help you make good choices, Environmental Defense Fund has just published CarbonOffsetList.org, a guide to high-quality offset projects for businesses and consumers. These are projects that we would turn to for our own offset needs. Check it out!
This post is by Sheryl Canter, an online writer and editorial manager at Environmental Defense Fund.
18 Comments
Carbon offsets!?
Carbon offsets exist so that rich people can continue to fly around in private jets and not feel guilty about it. All the while preaching to average people like me about how I need to ride a bike everywhere and drive slower. Turn my thermostat lower in the winter. Live like people live in third world countries. While they continue to live extravagant lifestyles. Most of us don’t have any spare cash lying around to buy “carbon offsets”. I know I don’t. I barely get from paycheck to paycheck. And I have to listen to rich people tell my how I am destroying the planet.
Many years ago the Catholic church sold what they called “indulgences”. A parishioner would pay the church money so he could commit sin, guilt free. Bigger “sins” cost more money. Carbon offsets are exactly the same thing. Rich people pay money so they can “sin” and not feel guilty about it.
Al Gore lives one of the most extravagant lifestyles I can imagine. But he says its OK because he buys “carbon offsets”. Funny thing is that the “carbon offsets” he buys are from HIS company. What a massive scam! All the while preaching to me that I need to make do with less.
I suggest you watch the BBC documentary “The Great Global Warming Swindle”. It explains in great detail what a total scam, fraud, and hoax “man made” global warming is. I am supposed to live like a pauper so Al Gore and his rich Hollywood buddies live high on the hog!
“The Great Global Warming Swindle” is a swindle. I suggest you read our post about it:
http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2007/07/11/global_warming_swindle/
I have read it. I consider YOUR arguments to be slanted. Your arguments distort what was actually in the video. Leaving that aside, you didn’t say anything about the main point of my comment regarding “carbon offsets”. Assuming you are completely right about “man made” global warming, (and your not)that still doesn’t make “carbon offsets” any less of a scam. They allow the rich to live extravagant lifestyles while forcing lowly peons like myself to live in poverty. Thats the whole point of the entire global warming “swindle”.
I was going to continue with a big argument against “man made” global warming (and I can because I have the facts on my side) but that is beside the main point of my comment. “Carbon offsets” are a massive scam! Please comment on that.
I didn’t respond to your carbon offsets comment because we have a general policy here of not endlessly repeating ourselves every time climate change deniers post since (clearly) they can’t be swayed by logic.
We post information so anyone who is truly interested can get the full scoop. The explanation for why carbon offsets are legitimate is in this article and the other articles it links to. People who aren’t sure what to believe can read what you wrote and read what we wrote and weigh the evidence for themselves.
Notice how you call me a denier and not a skeptic? Not nice. I am truly interested in this. I just think you are wrong. Forget global warming. Saying you are completely right about ALL of it. Carbon offsets are still a scam and I think you know it. If not, you need to open your eyes. I will quit troubling you now.
I didn’t mean to label you as something you weren’t. Most of the people who post attacks here are deniers. So you’re a “skeptic” – meaning that you think possibly that humans cause global warming?
Some carbon offset projects are scams, unfortunately. But not all. That’s why we posted the list.
When you label someone as a “denier” you are simply dismissing their arguments as irrelevant. It’s ridiculous. There are VALID arguments against “man made” global warming. I believe that human activity MAY be contributing to global warming, but it is not the sole cause. All the “cures” for it seem to be nothing but advancing socialism. It’s primarily political propaganda. Not science. There is NOT a “consensus”, and the “debate” is NOT over. I don’t remember there even being a “debate”.
In any case, with the exception of the last paragraph my post was about carbon offsets. Sorry but, putting the global warming argument aside, ALL carbon offsets are nothing but a scam. If Al Gore and his buddies are really serious about carbon offsets then they should be paying ME for NOT using as much energy as they are. I promise I wont drive any more if Mr. Gore pays me. Please re-read the first portion of my post. Carbon offsets simply allow the rich to use all the energy they want and not feel guilty about it. What do they actually accomplish? Nothing! I think it is more about keeping the “elite” such as Mr. Gore in their lavish lifestyles while keeping peons such as myself in poverty.
OK Sheryl, so whats the deal? My last comment ONLY shows up if I am logged on. Have I been banned because I am a “denier”?
No, of course you haven’t been banned. We don’t ban people (or delete posts) just for disagreeing with us. I don’t know why the comments only show up when you’re logged in – I guess it’s some blog setting. It’s nothing about you, I promise.
OK, sorry. I have been banned from other sites because of my contrary views.
Let me do a bit of cut and paste and see if this works this time.
Here it is….
When you label someone as a “denier” you are simply dismissing their arguments as irrelevant. It’s ridiculous. There are VALID arguments against “man made” global warming. I believe that human activity MAY be contributing to global warming, but it is not the sole cause. All the “cures” for it seem to be nothing but advancing socialism. It’s primarily political propaganda. Not science. There is NOT a “consensus”, and the “debate” is NOT over. I don’t remember there even being a “debate”.
In any case, with the exception of the last paragraph my post was about carbon offsets. Sorry but, putting the global warming argument aside, ALL carbon offsets are nothing but a scam. If Al Gore and his buddies are really serious about carbon offsets then they should be paying ME for NOT using as much energy as they are. I promise I wont drive any more if Mr. Gore pays me. Please re-read the first portion of my post. Carbon offsets simply allow the rich to use all the energy they want and not feel guilty about it. What do they actually accomplish? Nothing! I think it is more about keeping the “elite” such as Mr. Gore in their lavish lifestyles while keeping peons such as myself in poverty.
Hopefully you can see it this time.
P.S. If these people get in power then “carbon offsets” will soon be non-voluntary. The goal seems to make a national carbon offset taken in the form of additional taxes.
OK, sorry.
I have been banned from other sites because of my contrary views.
This is very strange. I have re-posted it twice with the same result. I have even re-worded it. So I will try just the first half of it. I hope this doesn’t end up showing up several times. But if it does….sorry.
Here is the first half.
When you label someone as a “denier” you are simply dismissing their arguments as irrelevant. It’s ridiculous. There are VALID arguments against “man made” global warming. I believe that human activity MAY be contributing to global warming, but it is not the sole cause. All the “cures” for it seem to be nothing but advancing socialism. It’s primarily political propaganda. Not science. There is NOT a “consensus”, and the “debate” is NOT over. I don’t remember there even being a “debate”.
No I haven’t been banned. But close to it.
“Thanks for your comment! It has been placed in the moderation queue, and if it is approved it will be published here soon!”
You might want to talk to the moderators and see why they think my comments are not acceptable.
Hope this one gets to you.
Please don’t be paranoid. That doesn’t help anything.
I don’t know why your comments were put in the moderation queue because usually that only happens when the comments have links in them. And I’m sorry I didn’t notice comments were in the moderation queue. They’ve all been released now, and now I have to go in and delete the duplicates since you posted the same message repeatedly.
The placement in the moderation queue was automated – WordPress did it, not me!
Okay – just one duplicate, which I deleted. Rest are there for all to see.
astroknott – our commenting policy is listed below the edit box where you type the comment. I’ll paste it here:
We do not delete comments that don’t reflect our opinion – we just say, don’t think that because it’s here, it reflects our opinion. The only comments that I may remove are those that are offensive (calling someone an idiot, for example), illegal (e.g. copyright infringement), irrelevant (no relation to the post), spam, and duplicated comments. When I delete a comment, I email the person to say why it was deleted.
As long as your comments are courteous, you are free to disagree all you like!
Now to respond to the content of your message:
By “climate change denier”, I simply mean someone who denies that climate is changing due to human activity. Sounds like you’re a skeptic rather than a denier.
This is completely wrong. The main “cure” for climate change advocated by Environmental Defense Fund is market-based – a cap-and-trade system. This is hardly socialist.
Ha! My comment was placed in the moderation queue, too. I’ll check the settings – something has gone screwy.
Sorry for the multiple posts and the suspicion. As I said I have been banned from other sites for similar comments. I am going out of town and won’t be checking back till Monday. I want to say one more thing about global warming. I will get back “on topic” when I return.
I think I am closer to what you call a “denier” than a skeptic. Although I do consider SOME impact from human activity. What irritates me about the charges of “denier” is that it is associated with “Holocaust denier”. Something that is a known historical fact but some people insist didn’t happen. I consider it name calling. I am willing to accept that you didn’t intend it that way. You have been more polite than I have in fact.
When Charles Darwin wrote “Origin of Species” there were many skeptics. At the time there were many valid and reasonable arguments against it. We have learned enough since then for all but a very few to accept evolution as fact. I am not aware of Darwin calling his detractors “deniers” or any other names. He simply answered arguments as well as he could. Even today, creationists are seldom insulted. Often they are simply ignored. But when it comes to “man made” global warming, those on my side are routinely insulted. Often called far worse than “deniers”. There have been calls for Nuremberg style trials for oil company executives. Some people want to charge them with “crimes against humanity”. This has gotten completely out of hand. I fear that in our haste to “save the planet” we will do more harm than good. Turning corn into ethanol comes to mind. The name calling really needs to stop. As I said there are many very valid arguments against “man made” global warming.
Type at you again on Monday.
I would like to report from one of the southernmost places in the U.S.,extreme south Florida.You global warming advocates have really gotten out of hand.I have lived in this sub-tropical climate for over 16 years ,and I’ve seen everything from hurricanes to super heat waves.I write this on Dec.2 as we are experiencing one of the longest cold snaps I have ever seen in this warm paradise.I notice the weather more than most ,as I travel by motorcycle.It has been below average temps for more than 2 weeks. I usually judge a winter by how many times I have to wear dungarees in a given season.Some winters,0 times,this one 15 times,and it is’nt even our cold months (jan/feb) My kids are usually still swimming in our pool (solar heated by the way!)I love the woods ,and don’t want to lose our precious forests and woods, But you really have to snap back to the good old days before liberalism warped the minds of millions of Americans,and destroyed our country.I love animals and nature, but I am a card carrying Republican and Your Idea of carbon footprints is absolutely absurd and insaine and loony.I’m sorry to offend you ,I’m sure you are nice people,But this liberalism is very closely related to facism and Nazi-ism I am willing to see what your almighty messiah does(Obama) because Bush stabbed me in the back after I voted for him twice.But watch out how you worship him ,as it mirrors pre world war 2 Germany in a scary way.He has also been acting very suspiciously like Hitler in some of his actions.Ther is no such thing as a carbon footprint.Get it through your head!!!!!!!!!!!! AlGore (one word) is as big a sham as has ever been in history. Liberalism must be defeated and quickly if this Great Nation is to suvive!!!!!!!!!!!
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[…] Environmental Defense Foundation (EDF) today on their blog had a very interesting post. The EDF has launched a new site Carbonoffsetlist.org, which provides information on 11 projects […]
[…] Environmental Defense Foundation (EDF) today on their blog had a very interesting post. The EDF has launched a new site Carbonoffsetlist.org, which provides information on 11 projects […]