There are no more gullible people than those with the cause or with good intentions. Somehow loving the Earth, saving the whales or the need to protect baby seals strips these people of any shreds of healthy sceptisim and opens their pockets to crooks. There are small-time crooks who may be asking for donations to who-knows-what at the stoplight or big-time crooks like Al Gore who compels people to save the Planet and then profits when they try to help.
With the surplus of gullible people with good intentions growing exponentially it couldn’t have been too long before the controversial carbon offset industry created a pyramid distribution scheme to become an environmental equivalent of Herbalife. In short, carbon offsetting allows people to contribute to an environment-friendly project to compensate for the carbon emissions they produce. There are many objections to this scheme which closely resembles the sale of indulgences during the Middle Ages.
The later Middle Ages saw the growth of considerable abuses, such as the unrestricted sale of indulgences by professional “pardoners”[3] (quaestores in Latin), who were sent to collect contributions to the project. In many cases the preaching of these, out of ignorance or shrewdness, went far beyond dogmatic truth; some of them even dared to promise that the damned would be released from hell. Permission began to be granted to Catholic kings and princes, particularly on the occasion of Crusades, to retain for themselves a rather considerable part of the alms collected for the gaining of indulgences.
My objections are not with people trying to follow up on their convictions; I don’t agree with the cynical exploitation of idealists, even if they asked for it. Recently I read about a “business opportunity” to cash in on carbon offsets (I guess I am 10 years behind Al Gore). The website* offers a “partner programme”:
- Help stop global warming AND get paid from your site, sites you refer and sites THEY refer!
- Earn 15% commission every time someone purchases a carbon offset from your site
- Introduce new partners AND earn 2.5% commission on all their sales!
I decided to see what it takes to offset some of my destructive lifestyle:
I was asked to enter my license plate to get a personalized sticker:
My car produces tons of carbon:
Apparently driving my Focus around is not cheap (even more expensive in $$):
I clicked to find more details but they were nowhere to be found:
Looks legit, but here is why it’s a scam:
What if “as much a possible” amounts to nothing? The fact that there is no oversight and no stated commitment ensures that your money will not be spent on anything worthwhile, and references to Kyoto protocol do not add any gravitas to this trap for the environmentally-conscious rubes.
Somehow, I don’t doubt that there are plenty of those seeking to buy their environmental indulgence.
*I am not linking to the site, find it yourself.
Wow… excellent post. Wherever there is a good cause the scammers are sure to follow. I guarantee that your Focus and my Yaris are 10 times less polluting than the vehicles driven by the creators of that website.
Good post Meesha!
I remember what my old history prof(himself an ex priest who got married) said, “Watch out for people when they say ‘I know what’s best for you’.” Rubes.
And some folks wonder why I don’t trust the world at large.
Hi Meesha- Thanks for your interest in the Carbon Advice Group. I assure you and your readers that the Carbon Advice Group is legitimate. Your money will go to your choice of the listed projects.
While I understand your analysis and comparison to Medieval Indulgences, I think there is an important distinction: the intent and use of our carbon offsets is to create New Solutions (our offsets fund wind and biomass energy programs), not to merely wipe away guilt. Carbon Offsets do not absolve anyone of our responsibility to the environment- they DO represent a great way to raise awareness of the carbon footprint we each create and contribute an equivalent amount of money to supporting cleaner energy alternatives.
Here is the commitment statement you were looking for, taken from our “What We Do” page:
The Carbon Advice Group provides its offsetting service using a range of accredited carbon offsets that meet the relevant international standards, such as VCS (Voluntary Carbon Standard) as well as Certified Emissions Reduction certificates (CERs) provided by the United Nations. CERs are endorsed by DEFRA and guarantee effective global reduction of carbon emissions through regulated projects.
As an Affiliate network, we want to empower individuals to take an active, entrepreneurial role in the new green economy. Rather than buying carbon offsets from someone you don’t know off a large website, you can either set up your own site to raise awareness by selling them, or buy them from an affiliate site through your sister/co-worker/teacher/etc. We see being a carbon offset affiliate as a way to localize the green movement and be compensated for your efforts.
Please contact me directly with any questions.
Kind Regards,
Murray
http://www.carbonadvicegroup.com
news@carbonplc.com
Global warming is the biggest threat for wealthy planet. But many institutes are working on
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