It is the ultimate capitalist industry, billions of dollars predicated on the promise of not doing a thing you swear you totally would've done. It's like extortion but worse.

[–] 7bicycles@hexbear.net 31 points 1 year ago (2 children)

There's a program in germany where drivers of electric cars can sell their carbon offset, no such option however exists for not using a car and I think that's pretty much the whole thing in a nutshell

[–] CarbonScored@hexbear.net 27 points 1 year ago

Wow. This comment just makes me realise that 'carbon offsets' are the modern equivalent of buying indulgences 500 years ago.

[–] jaywalker@hexbear.net 13 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Probably rather tax you for not having a car

[–] 7bicycles@hexbear.net 17 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I mean, yeah, pretty much. The Federal Enviromental Agency cites that every car is subsidized by about 5000€ a year on average via costs that drivers don't have to pay. Basically if you don't have a car a good chunk of your taxes go to somebody else for having one

[–] sir_this_is_a_wendys@hexbear.net 4 points 1 year ago

The other chunk of your taxes go to help murder people all around the world and give more subsidies to wildly profitable businesses