More People Supporting "Carbon Neutrality" Trend

[RestoreGore]

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/292969_carbonoffsets20.html

My two worries about this are that some people (or even more importantly corporations) may use this as a way to never move from fossil fuels. They will think that as long as they give a 20 dollar donation to the local Sierra Club, or "say" they are investing in alternate energies (without still getting it to every pump in this country at a reasonable price) that they can feel guiltless about not doing anything else. I also worry about people getting involved in schemes... organizations set up to look environmental just to take advantage of this trend. I suggest if people really wish to do this that they do their homework first and only offset with reputable organizations, and don't stop working for alternate energy sources in the interim while they still conserve energy. I offset with a sustaining donorship to environmental organizations, but I also work to keep it down as low as possible. I do not think carbon neutrality should be seen as a "get out of jail free" card.

[lapfog_1]

1. The theory is that the offsets (let's say money) is actually used

to sequester the CO2 that offsets the CO2 you produce. Like planting a tree or something. It's the same sort of idea as the pollution credits and trading (but with some obvious differences).

It's hard to think that this is fair or reasonable... but it can be.

Of course, if you don't produce the CO2 in the first place, you can remove all doubt about the efficacy of this program.