is it possible to be carbon neutral?

Question

I think it is impossible to be. Absolutely evrything we do comsumes something.

there is abuilding being built across the road from where i work, which says it will be carbon eautral when completd, but it has taken 8 months more to build because of this, which would immediately make it even worse than a normal building.

i think carbon neautrality is a complete ridiculous fad!

I am all for conerving energy etc, but carbon neurality is stupid

Answer 1

You are correct that carbon neutrality is a catch-phrase that is somewhat faddish.
You are also correct that people mismanage otherwise well-intentioned conservation ideas, such as the building you mentioned. My favorite example is the water-conserving toilet that requires three flushes to do the job, thereby wasting more water than its old-fashioned counterpart. (We have one where I teach, and it is a nuisance!)

The trend toward carbon neutrality is not completely ridiculous however. Nor is it a stupid idea. The real problem is that every bit of modern society's infrastructure is built from the ground up on wasting energy and making excess carbon dioxide. It is impossible to make a sudden and complete shift to carbon neutrality. There are bound to be examples of ridiculous attempts at “carbon neutrality.” Certainly, with the high percentage of stupid people in the world, there is a high probability that some of them will get on the carbon neutral bandwagon and give it a funky reputation.

However, we definitely should rethink and redesign infrastructures and methods of production to at least be closer to carbon neutral. “Carbon neutral” is a good idea that gets a bad rap because some people mismanage it, profiteering bastards don’t want the expense or hassle of dealing with it, and most people do not even understand it at all.

I too, like you, become exasperated at politically correct followers of fads. Some of the PEOPLE who follow such fads ARE in fact, stupid and ridiculous, no matter how good their intentions are. But that does NOT prove that the entire idea is ridiculous, stupid or not worthwhile. It also does not mean nearly perfect carbon neutrality is impossible. In fact, the Amish do it all the time.

Answer 2

It's funny how you are considered a troll when proposing a question to debate the efficiency of using present dollars for carbon reduction versus other issues. There is no way to quantify the pay-back, if any, of spending money to reduce CO2. If CO2 is not the prime forcing agent in GW, then every last dollar spent on CO2 reduction/sequestering has been wasted. On the other hand, if you give money to any reputable charity or relief agency, 80-90% of that money will be used to help feed, shelter and clothe people that are going to die this year otherwise. So, if it makes you feel good to live in your comfortable home and spend $10-15,000 to add solar panels to partially reduce your "carbon footprint" while children in America and around the world go to bed hungry tonight, then by all means do it. We live in a free country and you have the right to do just that. ADDED: Dear DW (below) - I didn't see the question as sneaky. Perhaps it depends on what your opinion is concerning GW as to whether this question seems trollish or not. He simply brings up Yahoo as an example of someone (or some company) spending resources on something with unknown benefits versus spending it where benefits are more measurable and visible. And, I didn't ask the question, "Do you think this question is written by a troll?" So, I am confused why you chose to respond to my answer but never answered the original question. If you didn't like the question, that's fine. Find something else to answer. If you think I need education, I provide an e-mail link just for that purpose. That is how I would have normally responded to you, but you have chosen not to receive e-mail from other users.

Answer 3

You are exactly correct.

The only way to get close to 100% carbon neutral is to live on your own acreage with enough farmable land to feed your entire family and support your dwelling with timber and wind and sunlight resources. Even then you would have to buy manufactured products like wind generators and solar panels which would be tainted with hydrocarbon use during manufacture.

The only people in the USA who get into the high 90s on carbon neutrality are Mennonites and Amish who aren't even counted as part of American society by the Prius driving elitists of the Clean Airyan Brotherhood.

Answer 4

Well of course it's possible. You just need to stop doing anything that uses (fossil) carbon. I wouldn't pretend it's easy but it must be possible.
What aspects of your lifestyle needs fossil carbon?
Your electricity supply? Make your own from a renewable source.
Your water supply? Collect your own.
Transport? Why are you going places? Use a bike, walk. Fix up a dumped car & run it on biofuel that you've made yourself. Food? Grow your own without using engines or (fossil) carbon based fertilizers & pesticides.
Etc, etc.....fill in your own blanks....
All possible but not easy.

Answer 5

well yes it is a good thing that u are conserving and i do think that buying carbon credits is ridiculous as well. i would much rather just go and plant a tree in my own country in my own backyard on my own without paying like $20 to "offset" it. besides there is nothing wrong with getting free oranges after a year or so of planting the tree.

Answer 6

Sure, carbon neutral=dead. That is the ultimate goal of the lunatics that are promoting the pagan environmentalist religion. Reduce or eliminate mankind.

Answer 7

let me think: theoretically it is possible PROVIDED you have powerful source of alternative (no co2 production) energy source, like solar, wind, heat pump, water, that pays back all the energy that you use (even indirectly) from other sources - all things and services that you buy from outside, of course including the equipment to harness that alternative power source. so i say yes, if you have and operate alternative source powerplant to sustain yourself and to cover your indirect consumption, you are carbon neutral or carbon passive.

Ordinary citizen cannot even near to it. however green we are trying to be, we are and will be out of carbon (not only carbon!) balance, because of our civilized lifestyle. Breaking and redirecting the natural nutrient cycles.

Answer 8

It is impossible, not even if you have the electricity disconnected, get rid of your car and heat your home with a wood stove, but this is not what the stupidized masses want to hear.

Answer 9

It sounds interesting but I haven't a clue what 'carbon neutral' is.

Answer 10

yes you can, even large construction companies are going carbon neutral nowadays http://cnconstruction.co.uk/