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Relieve Your Carbon Guilt

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Posted on Jul 26, 2007
Forest
mass.gov

Want to fight global warming but just can’t live without air conditioning? The U.S. Forest Service has a solution. By purchasing “carbon offsets,” individuals can now make up for their environmental damage in the American way: Just put it on the card, and let someone plant a tree for you.


Los Angeles Times:

For years, companies have been allowed to compensate for greenhouse gas emissions by purchasing “carbon offsets”—vouchers for investment in alternative energy sources, tree-planting and other projects that can mitigate global warming.

Now the idea is spreading to individuals, with the Forest Service’s announcement Wednesday that it will be the first federal agency to offer personal carbon offsets through an initiative called the Carbon Capital Fund.

“We came up with the idea because everyone is looking at what they can do in terms of climate change,” said Bill Possiel, president of the National Forest Foundation, a nonprofit partner of the Forest Service. “The money goes to a restricted fund for projects on national forests.”

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By Enemy of State, July 26, 2007 at 6:58 pm Link to this comment

As long as the purchased credits actually result in the contracted amount of Carbon actually being sequestered (or not emitted in the first place) we should welcome such programs. The atmosphere only cares about the total carbon load, not how it got there. Unfortunately most of the commercial offsets are poorly audited, so it is hard to know if you are actually being carbon nuetral by buying offsets.

  There are lots of offset schemes. Some plant trees, some subsidize renewable energy, some buy solar-power systems for the poor etc. The real key is credible auditing, so you can know if your money is actually doing good, and not just buying yourself a pretty green bumper-sticker.

  If you want to do your own, simply buy a box of compact florescent bulbs, and give them away to poor people. That should save more CO2 per dollar than any of the commercial offsets (and you will be helping poor people).

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By DennisD, July 26, 2007 at 6:36 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

The Forest Service is going to have to take an IOU, the same one I’ll be getting for my Social Security benefits from our bankrupt government.

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By atheo, July 26, 2007 at 4:02 pm Link to this comment

The money goes for jet fuel for the USAF.

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By ardee, July 26, 2007 at 2:22 pm Link to this comment

UHHH with Bush still in office I would bet that money goes to building more roads to help the mining and logging of our natioanl forests….I am indeed a sceptic, arent you?

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By Joe, July 26, 2007 at 2:05 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

This is just like the practice in olden day of buying penance from the Church for sins that you are going to commit in the future. What a SCAM!!!!!

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