2007-09-12 15:30:08 · 7 answers · asked by Penny 5 in Environment ➔ Green Living
Carbon off-sets are basically a way of making up for the amount of damage you do to the earth. If I drive to work and help destroy the earth, I can make up for it by funding a company that helps to clean the earth. For example I may fund a company that plants trees. It is a great concept, but perhaps people ought to look at doing less damage along with carbon off-sets. I hope that helps - s
2007-09-12 15:39:54 · answer #1 · answered by Smarks 3 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Carbon offsets are a way for people to reduce their impact on global warming.
You can calculate how much carbon you emit doing any activity - say taking a trip on an airplane or driving to work. If you want to cancel your contribution to global warming from doing that activity, you can give money to a carbon offset company. They'll then invest your money in a project that reduces overall greenhouse gas emissions, like by planting CO2-absorbing trees or in a project to build a big solar power plant.
You have to be careful though, because some carbon offset companies aren't very good and don't make sure that your money goes to a good project. For example, they might invest in a solar power plant project that never gets built, and then your money is just wasted. It's really a better idea for big companies than individuals at this point.
2007-09-13 12:40:10 · answer #2 · answered by Dana1981 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
If a company uses too much energy, they can still claim to be "clean" by paying money to a company that uses very little, or by paying another company using dirty energy to make it cleaner.
For example, California might pay a half billion to some third world country that has no electricity or cars for their "carbon offsets", so they can meet their carbon output goals.
Or an energy company might pay a company in China to upgrade an existing coal plant to be cleaner.
It's a really good deal. The third world country gets money for nothing, or the owner of the plant in China gets the plant upgraded for free, the middlemen that trade these offsets get a new Gulfstream IV jet, and the people in California get to feel good about themselves.
As said above, it's an absolute scam. It's what the Kyoto Accords are all about, and if you read it, it doesn't even PRETEND to fix anything. All it does is make poverty an asset that can be traded to fools on the open market.
2007-09-13 00:13:00 · answer #3 · answered by open4one 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Hey, for stuff like that I always check out Wikipedia. So that is where I went. If you go to wikipedia.org and then type in carbon offsetting in the search there is a good expaination. Hope that helps
2007-09-13 08:01:48 · answer #4 · answered by flyersgrl 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It's a scam.
It's a way for people who grossly violate all the "global warming" laws they put into place to feel better about themselves for these violations by buying reparations.
It's kinda like centuries ago when rich sinners could buy forgiveness from the Catholic church for their sins.
More proof that the "global warming" nuts are just religious zealots.
As someone else said, if they really cared and if they really believed the planet was going to overheat they'd follow the rules they want put into place.
2007-09-12 23:18:13 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋
A plan to enrich Al Gore and his busines partners so that they can continue to fly about in private jets and ride in limos.
2007-09-12 22:38:11 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
diamonds
2007-09-13 08:09:33 · answer #7 · answered by sean 3 · 1⤊ 2⤋