Posted on 01/09/2008 11:17:46 AM PST by reaganaut1
Corporations and shoppers in the United States spent more than $54 million last year on carbon offset credits toward tree planting, wind farms, solar plants and other projects to balance the emissions created by, say, using a laptop computer or flying on a jet.
But where exactly is that money going?
The Federal Trade Commission, which regulates advertising claims, raised the question Tuesday in its first hearing in a series on green marketing, this one focusing on carbon offsets.
As more companies use offset programs to create an environmental halo over their products, the commission said it was growing increasingly concerned that some green marketing assertions were not substantiated. Environmentalists have a word for such misleading advertising: “greenwashing.”
With the rapid growth of green programs like carbon offsets, “there’s a heightened potential for deception,” said Deborah Platt Majoras, chairwoman of the commission.
The F.T.C. has not updated its environmental advertising guidelines, known as the Green Guides, since 1998. Back then, the agency did not create definitions for phrases that are common now — like renewable energy, carbon offsets and sustainability.
For now, it is soliciting comments on how to update its guidelines and is gathering information about how carbon-offset programs work.
Consumers seem to be confronted with green-sounding offers at every turn. Volkswagen told buyers last year that it would offset their first year of driving by planting in what it called the VW Forest in the lower Mississippi alluvial valley (the price starts at $18).
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Just send money directly to Al Gore to receive you indulgence......
Absolutely. The creation of a generous cap for a favored constituent is like printing money out of thin air.
There will also be opportunities for "auditing."
Gee, never saw that one coming, did we? Honestly, people are so gullible. Next step will be that the government needs to mandate and regulate.
No, send me the money. I promise to stop driving my Suburban. Promise, really.
I was looking at my credit card rewards points recently and discovered I can use them to buy carbon offsets. I think I’ll take the cash instead.
What’s with all this tree planting?
Don’t they know that trees give off Carbon Dioxide at night?
Hot dog!
If the FTC starts digging into this, I have lots of valid questions:
1) If the Kyoto protocols were only concerned with CO2 PRODUCTION (not net CO2), then how does tree planting help offset carbon footprints? Who judges what is a valid form of offset?
2) Can investment in nuclear power be considered a carbon offset?
3) Do carbon offsets make the holder a shareholder in any wind or solar farms that are constructed? If not, would the funds be considered a gift? If it does make him a shreholder, isn’t the holder entitled to the correct documentation (annual statements, voting rights, etc) and dividends?
4) Will a standardized basis be provided to determine how much carbon is actually being offset? How will this be done?
5) Is offering offsets to keep someone from not doing something considered a form of extorsion?
I just bought a Nissan Titan. When my comrades in the teechurs union ask me why I bought something so big, I tell them that I am trying to increase my carbon footprint. That really ticked of the Prius driving comrade!
I would love to see a ‘follow the money’ story.
~~Anthropogenic Global Warming ™ ping~~
Puget Sound Energy allows consumers to pay more for green energy. Most of these individuals actually think they are getting energy off a separate grid from a wind farm etc... However, I have heard that 80 cents of each of those dollars goes toward promoting/marketing green energy. This doesn’t sound like money well spent.
So who is going to give me carbon credits for my 200 trees?
And where do I trade them for cash?
“Potential” fraud?
It would be 100% GUARANTEED fraud.
SEND ME THE MONEY!!! I’ll buy Beano for my two large dogs to control their farts.
Hey! That's my business model.
Before you take a carbon-spewing trip, send me 10% of the cost, tell me precisely where you're going and I won't go there.
100% offset.
And to think this money could be spent on getting necessities like, oh, I don’t know, maybe CLEAN WATER and FOOD to people who need it!!! Lack of these kills many more people right now than globull warming ever will. This money could be saving lives, eradicating disease, and giving people a real chance at living. Instead, the money is going to a political flavor of the month.
Honestly, don’t they ever THINK? These self-righteous, deluded, dangerous people make me sick! (Okay, done ranting for now.)
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