gore carbon offsets... another point of view, snips
Some environmentalists still question whether even the best carbon offset scheme is a real solution to climate change.
"It's a Faustian bargain," said Michael Dorsey, a professor of environmental studies at Dartmouth College. "It's an untested, unproven experiment."
While the Tufts Climate Initiative ranked the programs, it made a decision not to purchase offsets.
"We are spending our effort on reducing our own direct emissions," said Sarah Creighton, director of the Climate Initiative. "We feel that's a prudent use of our resources. It's taking care of our own house and not paying someone to do it for us."
One group, the Transnational Institute's Carbon Trade Watch, said in a report, "Instead of encouraging individuals and institutions to profoundly change consumption patterns as well as social, economic and political structures, we are being asked to believe that paying a little extra for certain goods and services is sufficient."
Offsets, said the Sierra Club's Hamilton, should be a last resort.
"It does no good but assuage your guilt if you drive a huge Hummer, live in a McMansion, then say you've bought offsets," said Bruce Hamilton at the Sierra Club. "First, you should eliminate trips, walk rather than driving, insulate your house."
After you've shrunk your energy use, then you can think about offsets, he said. "We need to get more money in the economy dedicated to reducing carbon emissions."
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