Wealthy people buying Carbon Offsets: Noble or a DUTY?
August 24th 2007 06:58
There is an interesting article in today's WSJ that really got me thinking. By now we are all getting the hang of the routine: work out your Carbon Emissions and buy Carbon Credits to offset your emissions with the ultimate goal being to completely wipe out your personal Carbon Footprint.
This is all well and good but if you take a look at the Stats there is a direct relationship between wealth and Carbon Emissions. The richer you are the more you pollute.
Wealthy people fly around in Private Jets (there are now 10,000 Private Jets in the U.S.) and cruise around in Yachts that burn more fuel in an hour than most of us would use in a year. For some reason these people think that buying Carbon Offsets or the like is a Noble Gesture. Is it really?
As has been discussed on this blog before going completely green is actually prohibitively expensive for the average citizen outside of changing a few light globes and turning off some switches. All the cool groovy Solar Panel Sytems and Windmills simply can't be in the budget (nor are private jets) Surely if you can afford a Jet it should be your duty to pay for the damage you do as part of the ordinary course of polluting. I mean all of us mere plebs are making an effort to reduce emissions. These people shouldn't expect kudos for buying Carbon Credits, if they can afford a private jet they should suck it up and pay for the damage the Jet does as a matter of course.
For some reason because they are not obligated to do it by law they think buying these credits is some sort of Noble gesture. Legislation or not it should be their environmental duty to pay for the damage they do. As a guy I used to work with once said to me after a hard day....Louie well done for doing your job....
Happy Orbling
Here is the link to the WSJ Article some interesting stas in there on Private Jet and Cruiser usage and pollution etc, worth a read on a Rainy Friday......CLICK HERE
This is all well and good but if you take a look at the Stats there is a direct relationship between wealth and Carbon Emissions. The richer you are the more you pollute.
Wealthy people fly around in Private Jets (there are now 10,000 Private Jets in the U.S.) and cruise around in Yachts that burn more fuel in an hour than most of us would use in a year. For some reason these people think that buying Carbon Offsets or the like is a Noble Gesture. Is it really?
As has been discussed on this blog before going completely green is actually prohibitively expensive for the average citizen outside of changing a few light globes and turning off some switches. All the cool groovy Solar Panel Sytems and Windmills simply can't be in the budget (nor are private jets) Surely if you can afford a Jet it should be your duty to pay for the damage you do as part of the ordinary course of polluting. I mean all of us mere plebs are making an effort to reduce emissions. These people shouldn't expect kudos for buying Carbon Credits, if they can afford a private jet they should suck it up and pay for the damage the Jet does as a matter of course.
For some reason because they are not obligated to do it by law they think buying these credits is some sort of Noble gesture. Legislation or not it should be their environmental duty to pay for the damage they do. As a guy I used to work with once said to me after a hard day....Louie well done for doing your job....
Happy Orbling
Here is the link to the WSJ Article some interesting stas in there on Private Jet and Cruiser usage and pollution etc, worth a read on a Rainy Friday......CLICK HERE
How the other half Fly
| 117 |
| Vote |
subscribe to this blog
Comment by katyzzz
Photography Tips
MS Paint Art
katyzzz
Comment by DuskDevi
Rugby World Cup 2007
Their ignoble duty...free.
Comment by Ahmed
Video Gamer Kids
Little Green Foosballs
PolyKicks
I'm not even sure what the point of it is and in reality I don't like the idea of profiting over this because it will set the wrong precedent.
The rich bastards must die!
Comment by Nickoftime's Sanity Corner
when I truly understand the whole carbon exchange thing I'll try and support it with some type of prior knowledge...
But it all seems too confused and twisted and pointless right now, do mainly to the politicians tap dance theory...If you can skirt the true issues yet still keep the subject in the media eye, you've pretty much got it made...
Great post though...
Take care,
Nick
Comment by Lilla
From The Home Front
Enviro Warrior
Dream Herald
Esoteric Bookshop
I think you're hitting the nail on the head here...is it just a way of making corporate polluters look good ...yet another 'fad?' ... I mean, who is planting the trees and where, for the offsets?
I think people should find that out, at the very least... I'd love to know how many trees each jet costs to run, wouldn't you? I mean, 10,000 private jets, must be the equivallent of a rainforest or two each year, at least? Not to mention re-planting wetlands, to slow down and minimise hurricanes and cyclones...
Great post!
Lilla ...
Comment by Louie
Climate Red
randomthoughts
Phil's Wellness Tips
thanks for the comment