I do, however, sense a business opportunity along the lines of Sam Kinison the dog psychologist.
To people who take the threat of global warming personally, driving a car that spews heat-trapping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere can be a guilt trip.
But to help atone for that environmental sin, some drivers are turning to groups on the
Internet that offer pain-free ways to assuage their guilt while promoting clean energy.
It involves buying something known as a carbon offset: a relatively inexpensive way to stimulate the production of clean electricity. Just go to one of several carbon-offset Web sites, calculate the amount of carbon dioxide produced when you drive, fly or otherwise burn fossil fuels, and then buy an offset that pays for an equivalent amount of clean energy.
3 comments:
Though I find the idea of buying the carbon passes (especially in the case of SUV-driving, self-styled environmentalists) rather akin to the Catholic church's selling of indulgences in the Middle Ages, I don't see anything wrong per se with supporting organizations whose goal is to produce clean(er) electricity.
The tone of the article did seem to be a little muddled, though.
Why isn't my comment being numbered & counted on the main page?!? I suspect a right-wing conspiracy!
OK - I've changed my mind. My carbon emissions are well-below average (I don't own a car, I live in an energy-efficient apartment and spend less than 50$ per month on electricity), I drive less than 200 miles per year when I do drive & I use a hybrid car, still, I think it's important to strive for replacements for fossil fuels, so I've signed up for the energy offset monthly plan. 8$ a month helps fund solar and wind energy production technology and does help me feel like I'm doing something useful.
Go ahead, Rob. I await your castigation.
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