Much has been said about offsetting carbon. In a nutshell — if you do something that harms the atmosphere, then do something else to create a balance. Drive your car, but go home and plant a few trees. Better still, if you have the money, and let’s face it many now do, get someone else to plant trees for you. Fly overseas and visit out-of-the-way places, but when you get home, do a bit of carbon offsetting.
On the surface it appears … well, it appears balanced.
On the other hand it may be a case of — do what you’re doing, don’t reduce consumption, or your emissions, that’s too hard and takes too much time. Offset and balance-out your impacts. In a sense, carbon is traded and now has a price.
Let’s face it, with the way our cities and towns are designed, walking and cycling is often out of the question for most people. Two cars are necessary if both partners work, and the mortgage just won’t pay itself off. Overseas destinations? For Australians, the only option is to fly.
Is it all an exercise in making the masses feel good? Or is it a step in the right direction?
Planting trees has multiple benefits and so does investing in renewables and efficiency projects.
Is carbon now on the tip of everyone’s tongues?
For several points of view have a look at the following information. There’s a vast amount of information floating around in cyber-space on the issue.
New Internationalist
Tufts Climate Initiative
Carbon Neutral
How much does carbon offsetting cost?
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