For a change, I'm not going to berate those folks who deny there is global warming and/or try to undermine the science that says we've got a big problem.

Today, I'm taking on the cynics who espouse the point of view that carbon offsets are counterproductive; some have even said buying carbon offsets are "worse than doing nothing". Scam is another term that is often bandied about.

In my humble opinion, carbon offsets are better than nothing at all.

To be sure, as a recent story in the International Herald Tribune points out, there's a risk that carbon offsets:

…give people the mistaken impression that they can keep on polluting, or that such individual efforts can solve global warming…

And I couldn't agree more that:

…much more fundamental change is needed.

But we've got to start somewhere. And the skeptics who discount the value of carbon offsets run the risk of turning off folks who would otherwise do nothing about climate change–not even think about it.

Just the other day, an acquaintance proudly told me that she had just "zeroed-out" her carbon account for 2006 by sending $600 to Terrapass. Six hundred dollars in self-imposed carbon tax–that covers an awful lot of flying and driving!

Of course I hope this woman and her husband will take the next step and make the effort to significantly reduce the amount of flying and driving they do in 2007. But I've got to applaud them for beginning to tune-in to the climate change issue and account for their carbon "sins".

Carbon offset skeptics can be lumped into three categories:

1. those who argue that carbon offsets are not effective (these folks primarily question the impact of planting trees)
2. those who see carbon offsets as the easy way out, allowing people to pay someone else to deal with the problem
3. those who say carbon offsets interfere with other effective measures to combat climate change because they allow people to distance themselves from the real problem

Of course, all three points of view may be valid. But isn't there great value in a concept that fostered the 2006 Word of the Year? Isn't building basic awareness and appreciation for the reality of climate change the most important thing we can do right now?

Don't you have to learn to walk before you can run?

Carbon Neutral Journal's rants are brought to you by Vertical Media.

Popularity: 17%