Amidst all the hubub about celebrities using carbon offsets to reduce their ample carbon footprints, Business Week recently published a story titled Another Inconvenient Truth. That report takes a close look at several carbon offset projects and claims that some amount to little more than "feel-good hype."

One of the projects under scrutiny by Business Week is a methane reduction project run by Waste Management Inc. in Springdale, Arkansas. The Tonitown landfill is significant because it's a project from which TerraPass has purchased thousands of tons of greenhouse gas reductions–including the offsets given to attendees at the Academy Awards.

At issue is the concept of "additionality." Put simply, the concept of additionality is that a particular carbon offset project would not exist without the support of the offset marketplace. In the case of Tonitown, Businsess Week claims that Waste Management Inc. was collecting methane long before TerraPass came into being.

So why am I giving kudos to TerraPass?

Because of the way in which they are addressing the issues raised in the Business Week Article. Unlike Al Gore and John Edwards, the folks at TerraPass aren't hemming and hawing. They're thoroughly and very transparently examining Business Week's claims via their TerraBlog.

Of course, these eco-entrepreneurs have a business model to defend, but they are doing so in a very straightforward, no-spin manner. Not only do I admire their work, but I truly appreciate the depth of their self-examination.

Al Gore and John Edwards could learn something about the value of transparency from TerraPass.

Carbon Neutral Journal's kudos are brought to you by Grand Targhee Resort.

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