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Olympic carbon offsets for dummies
Toronto Sun ^ | 2010-02-20 | (editorial)

Posted on 02/21/2010 3:12:29 AM PST by Clive

The problem with the political discussion about climate change these days is its "let's pretend" nature.

Much like Environment Minister Jim Prentice was pretending this week that the $150,000 Canada is spending on carbon offsets will "help offset the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of its Olympic Games."

This led to incorrect media reports the Games will be carbon neutral.

Sigh. In fact, the only way to eliminate the carbon footprint of the Olympics would be not to hold them.

The $150,000 will be spent to offset an estimated 7,600 tonnes of emissions generated by government employees arising out of things like accommodation, air travel and the torch relay. But that's only a tiny fraction of the Games' total emissions, which are in the hundreds of thousands of tonnes.

The only real way not to emit GHG is not to emit it. To make the Games carbon neutral, Prentice would need a giant vacuum cleaner capable of sucking up GHG emissions the moment they occur. He doesn't have one.

Given how long GHG emissions remain in the atmosphere, and how little time scientists say we have to significantly reduce emissions, buying carbon offsets makes no sense.

Worse is their symbolism. They allow high-flying political leaders, CEOs, celebrities, professional athletes and other rich people, notably Al Gore, to pretend you can reduce GHG in the atmosphere by buying what amount to papal indulgences. Utter nonsense.

Decarbonizing our lives means downsizing them. To reduce emissions significantly, our lifestyles must become increasingly austere. We can't have an honest debate about the real choices we face, unless policy-makers honestly present them.

Before the Games, the David Suzuki Foundation gave Olympic organizers a bronze medal for green efforts. Apparently nobody mentioned the only way to win gold was to cancel them.

Finally, it's sad Conservatives still feel the need to indulge in symbolic silliness like buying carbon offsets as a penance for Prime Minister Stephen Harper observing, when he was Canadian Alliance leader in 2002, that the Kyoto accord, ostensibly drafted to reduce GHG emissions, was in fact a socialist scheme to suck money out of developed countries like ours.

It's sad because Harper was right.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Canada; Culture/Society; Government
KEYWORDS: 2010olympics

1 posted on 02/21/2010 3:12:29 AM PST by Clive
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To: exg; Alberta's Child; albertabound; AntiKev; backhoe; Byron_the_Aussie; Cannoneer No. 4; ...

-


2 posted on 02/21/2010 3:13:10 AM PST by Clive (No, Galileo, I won't look though your telescope)
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To: Clive
OK .. I know this is all bogus, but .. how does the math work?

If I generate 100 tons of (I guess excess) carbon a year (and by what standard is excess?), is there a formula that says, "OK stupid, it's going to cost XYZ Co. $100,000.00 to rid the atmosphere (I assume that's what they're talking about), so pay us to do that."

And so I pay XYZ Co. a hundred G's.

Now ... what does XYZ Co. actually DO?

Yeah, I know ... so all those corporations that have started paying are really so blind and stupid?

Or is this a way to make political contibutions over and above any legal limits?

3 posted on 02/21/2010 3:24:17 AM PST by knarf (I say things that are true ... I have no proof ... but they're true)
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To: All

How impressive, the Canuks paying penitence to the great global warming gods— for the sin of breathing and living.


4 posted on 02/21/2010 3:33:04 AM PST by Irenic
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To: Clive

So many governments are Stuck on Stupid.


5 posted on 02/21/2010 3:40:52 AM PST by TYVets (Let's Roll!!! The leadership of the GOP has no spine and no guts, but we conservatives do)
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To: Clive; markomalley; Carlucci; grey_whiskers; meyer; WL-law; Para-Ord.45; Desdemona; Little Bill; ...
 


Beam me to Planet Gore !

6 posted on 02/21/2010 4:03:19 AM PST by steelyourfaith (FReepers were opposed to Obama even before it was cool to be against Obama.)
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To: Clive

“Decarbonizing our lives means downsizing them. To reduce emissions significantly, our lifestyles must become increasingly austere. We can’t have an honest debate about the real choices we face, unless policy-makers honestly present them.”

Nobody is going to be honest about how austere our lives would have to become to stop global warming (if it did exist) since no one would be willing to pay the price. Global warming is a scam designed to raise taxes and transfer wealth. No one wants to destroy the wealth, they just want to get a slice of it.


7 posted on 02/21/2010 4:03:24 AM PST by DugwayDuke
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To: DugwayDuke

No one wants to destroy the wealth, they just want to get a slice of it.

I disagree! Vehemently! You cannot look at the attitude on display among the believers, who know nothing about good economics, and even less about climate, and NOT realize they are out to destroy the goose. Consequences be damned. They are all clueless as to the consequences being gently guided down the path of destruction.

Algore might be the exception, but his ideas are only accepted by those who see the death of the goose as the means to the end. Meanwhile al reaps the short term bounty, before the collapse and demise of the goose.

Butt hay, I’m open to discussion.


8 posted on 02/21/2010 4:26:57 AM PST by wita
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To: wita

Sure, there are a lot of global warming believers. I wasn’t referring to them. I was talking about the politicians who propose tax and trade legislation or those at the UN or third world countries. All of these are interested in taxation and wealth redistribution. The global warming believers you’re discussing have been deceived by the politicians.

BTW, I include in politicians all of the old communists who’ve turned green in an effort to revitalize the communist movement, ie, Gorbachev, etc.


9 posted on 02/21/2010 4:35:33 AM PST by DugwayDuke
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To: DugwayDuke

I’m not sure we can include politicians as unbelievers. Some, have so attached themselves to the bandwagon that is now on its own track to destruction, they don’t know how, to let go, or they are just stuck on stupid and won’t let go. That includes the UN which was really the instigator to start with.

I think algore just built a business model on what he saw the UN doing that would ultimately “change the world”. Unfortunately for his ideas to bear fruit, the goose has to die. Cap and trade = total insanity. Perhaps an example. Enron is to new age accounting as cap and trade is to the fairy tale of the goose that laid the golden egg. Both are descriptive of the economic death spiral.

I’m not arguing just to be arguing, I really think these folks whether duped believers, politicians who want the money, algore, third world governments, UN crazies, etc etc, none of them realize the dead goose at the end of the tunnel, while we the people know the goose by name. He is us.


10 posted on 02/21/2010 4:57:30 AM PST by wita
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To: Clive

The $150,000 will be spent to offset an estimated 7,600 tonnes of emissions generated by government employees arising out of things...

Ya sure. But the end result is still 7600 tons (or whatever) of carbon into the atmosphere. What will the $150,000 offset?

Carbon offsets are nothing but a hoax.


11 posted on 02/21/2010 6:43:07 AM PST by chainsaw
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To: Clive; exg; kanawa; backhoe; -YYZ-; Squawk 8888; headsonpikes; AntiKev; Snowyman; ...
Thanks for the ping, Clive.


12 posted on 02/21/2010 7:16:05 AM PST by fanfan (Why did they bury Barry's past?)
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To: Clive
In fact, the only way to eliminate the carbon footprint of the Olympics would be not to hold them.

This is true with everything we do.....

.....We must stop existing to stop emitting carbon.

The radical left has this goal for all but themselves.

13 posted on 02/21/2010 7:30:23 AM PST by SteamShovel (When hope trumps reality, there is no hope at all.)
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To: Clive
To reduce emissions significantly, our lifestyles must become increasingly austere.

The radical left can't be honest about this because nobody would go along.

Their real goal is.....

.....Depopulate using abortion and euthanasia.

.....Those that are left live in caveman like kommunes.

14 posted on 02/21/2010 7:33:41 AM PST by SteamShovel (When hope trumps reality, there is no hope at all.)
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To: Clive
Worse is their symbolism. They allow high-flying political leaders, CEOs, celebrities, professional athletes and other rich people, notably Al Gore, to pretend you can reduce GHG in the atmosphere by buying what amount to papal indulgences. Utter nonsense.

The very fact that these politicians etc. flaunt their high-energy lifestyles while telling us to cut back is evidence that they do not believe in AGW. If they honestly believed that AGW is a threat, and it is caused by excess CO2, they'd do everything they could to decrease their own "carbon footprint"--not sell indulgences.

Life is carbon-based. The process of living is not carbon neutral. CO2 is an essential part of recycling carbon for use by living entities. Without CO2, there cannot be life.

15 posted on 02/21/2010 7:46:53 AM PST by exDemMom (Now that I've finally accepted that I'm living a bad hair life, I'm more at peace with the world.)
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To: Clive


16 posted on 02/23/2010 12:06:35 PM PST by WOBBLY BOB (ACORN:American Corruption for Obama Right Now)
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