Purchasing Carbon Offsets — Similar to Medieval Purchasing of Indulgences for Sins?
25 12 2007
One problem I have with the concept of purchasing carbon offsets is, as many critics have put it, the similarities to the medieval practice of purchasing indulgences to offset sins.
How can we really be sure that the charities we’re supporting are actually doing what they say they are, and that we are really getting our money’s worth?
While I do support the idea, and as I’ve mentioned, one charity I support in this endeavor is the Conservation Fund, it’s so important to not rely on things like recycling and carbon offsets instead of actually living conscientiously, reducing the total amount of waste we produce, and reducing the total amount of carbon we produce on a daily basis.
It’s frustrating to read about Al Gore living in a mansion that uses over 20 times the amount of electricity of an average person, to think that he could probably afford solar panels and such, and to read about him flying private jets all over the planet while he preaches about global warming, and it’s frustrating to think about the fact that some organizations offering carbon offsets might just be capitalizing on the market for them, but that is why we should just try to educate ourselves, do the best we can, and try to live by example.
And, while purchasing “indulgences” might psychologically lessen the weight of our environmental “sins,” let’s together be sure to do as much as we can to reduce our carbon feetprints!
What do you think? What do you do to offset your carbon dioxide production? What do you think about the purchase of carbon offsets? Leave a comment and let me know what’s on your mind…
