Carbon Offsets: Modern Day 'Indulgences'?

Much has been made of Carbon Offset schemes. I have remained skeptical. Today I find this, to reinforce my skepticism:

(via Carbon Trade Watch): NEW PUBLICATION: "The Carbon Neutral Myth - Offset Indulgences for your Climate Sins" [PDF]

Carbon offsets are the modern day indulgences, sold to an increasingly carbon conscious public to absolve their climate sins. Scratch the surface, however, and a disturbing picture emerges, where creative accountancy and elaborate shell games cover up the impossibility of verifying genuine climate change benefits, and where communities in the South often have little choice as offset projects are inflicted on them.

This report argues that offsets place disproportionate emphasis on individual lifestyles and carbon footprints, distracting attention from the wider, systemic changes and collective political action that needs to be taken to tackle climate change. Promoting more effective and empowering approaches involves moving away from the marketing gimmicks, celebrity endorsements, technological quick fixes, and the North/South exploitation that the carbon offsets industry embodies.

Comments

[John Feeney]

Before I started seeing some of the criticisms of carbon trading schemes, I thought it sounded like a fine idea. But now I've become skeptical as well. They do seem to be among the quick techno-fixes which appear to do little more than distract from the things we really need to do. The Carbon Trade Watch site seems to offer a good overview. It seems corporations like carbon offset schemes. That alone should make one skeptical, I think.

[David]

I love the blog that you have. I was wondering if you would link my blog to yours and in return I would do the same for your blog. If you want to, my site name is American Legends and the URL is:

www.americanlegends.info

If you want to do this just go to my blog and in one of the comments just write your blog name and the URL and I will add it to my site.

Thanks,
David