Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2007 11:13 pm
Weren't we in for another ice age a few years ago?
I'd buy carbon offsets but here is my problem:
I cant just pull money out of my ass so i'd have to do something to create wealth. As an industrial engineer in the auto industry, i'd have to produce more components for more cars. To do this i'd need to spend monster capital to buy more equipment, more floor space, employ more people, and burn massive amounts of resources to make the money i would use to pay someone else carbon offsets. I'd have to lease more trucks, and planes to ship the extra products i'd made. Money is not free, you have to expend resources to make it. How can i use money to offset carbon. I'd have to raise the sale price of my parts (customers need more money to buy) potentially putting more business in China, mexico, brazil, argentina, who don't give a shit about polution, fair labor, or carbon offsets.
What happens when the people in the carbon offset industry buy gas for their cars to get to work in a heated/airconditioned office. We have to make carbon and emissions to have a carbon offset sub-industry.
What?!?
You have to make more carbon to make the money you would use to buy carbon offsets. Why not just keep the money, be more conscient of the resources you use on a daily basis and be happy? That seems to make the most sense.
I'd buy carbon offsets but here is my problem:
I cant just pull money out of my ass so i'd have to do something to create wealth. As an industrial engineer in the auto industry, i'd have to produce more components for more cars. To do this i'd need to spend monster capital to buy more equipment, more floor space, employ more people, and burn massive amounts of resources to make the money i would use to pay someone else carbon offsets. I'd have to lease more trucks, and planes to ship the extra products i'd made. Money is not free, you have to expend resources to make it. How can i use money to offset carbon. I'd have to raise the sale price of my parts (customers need more money to buy) potentially putting more business in China, mexico, brazil, argentina, who don't give a shit about polution, fair labor, or carbon offsets.
What happens when the people in the carbon offset industry buy gas for their cars to get to work in a heated/airconditioned office. We have to make carbon and emissions to have a carbon offset sub-industry.
What?!?
You have to make more carbon to make the money you would use to buy carbon offsets. Why not just keep the money, be more conscient of the resources you use on a daily basis and be happy? That seems to make the most sense.