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Do any of you pay for carbon offsets?
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this post was submitted on 24 Oct 2023
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Carbon offsets are a scam. John Oliver did a piece on them last year. Lots of it goes to existing forests (which doesn’t help offset new carbon usage) or to the development of mono-culture forests which have all sorts of issues.
Good to know. Link for the lazy.
I wish there were some effective way to invest in fighting climate change. God knows there's plenty of money invested in the opposite direction.
The way that I’m contributing is my reducing my own usage. I don’t drive a car (electric bike or public transport) I removed the gas supply from my house, signed up with a renewable energy supplier, insulated the ever living shit out of my house including triple glazed glass and installed a Heatpump. Cost a small fortune but I can say I put my money where my mouth is!
Blow up a coal plant?
There are climate friendly ETFs which are literally that.
Edit: another source with some ETFs listed
Donating to charities might be a better idea. I'll look into this. I think people nowadays underestimate the effectiveness of charities. Some aren't efficient, but some have been highly effective.
I think the takeaway from that episode is that many carbon offsets are scams, not necessarily all. So don't take corporate claims that they offset their emissions at face value, and consider carefully before you buy offsets.
Take a look at my other comment about Wren and Wendover Productions. (This John Oliver episode happens to include an excerpt from the Wendover piece I mentioned.)
Forests do not offset carbon emissions unless the trees never decay. Unless you’re burying them underground after you cut them down, this method is not removing carbon from the atmosphere.
Why does it need to be underground? If it's processed into lumber (for houses, etc) the carbon is still removed from the atmosphere, it's it not?
True, as long as that lumber never breaks down, it will be a carbon sink. You’d need to keep it from decomposing forever, however.
Correct. As long as the wood is around, the CO2 is bound.
Yes. That's why they're a scam. They don't mean shit.
Second this, I recall reading up on mono-culture forests. I forget the source (maybe NYT) but the writer spoke of volunteering in Canada to plant trees and their practices basically planted incredibly combustible trees in very close proximity to one another. Those mono-culture forests are one of several reasons Canadian wild fires got out of control.
Wish I could the source, if anyone else remembers feel free to add.