Don’t buy carbon offsets; focus on cutting emissions instead. If you must use offsets, create your own. If you can’t create your own, scrutinize the options in the marketplace very carefully and commit to only buy trustworthy ones.

No shit. Paying someone else to give a shit so that you don't have to is what got us into this mess in the first place.

[–] oktherebuddy@hexbear.net 3 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

One fun example of this is going vegan as a personal carbon offset. If you do this for around two years (exact estimates vary) it avoids enough carbon emissions to offset a single round-trip cross-country flight: https://flightfree.org/flight-emissions-calculator

Alternatively, Delta lets you conveniently add $5 to your ticket to buy carbon credits and totally offset all these emissions! Wow, a miracle!

[–] carpoftruth@hexbear.net 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

But the point is to reduce emissions, not to just shuffle them around... yea

[–] oktherebuddy@hexbear.net 2 points 2 years ago

Yeah. It's hard to think about this problem within the US, where viable inter-city rail only exists between a few cities on the east coast. If you want to go long distances flying is the only way. Driving a personal car for that distance is even worse in terms of carbon emissions. This country is set up like a machine to drain life from the world.

[–] blakeus12@hexbear.net 6 points 2 years ago

wow i cant believe carbon credits were a scam. wow so shocked

[–] Infamousblt@hexbear.net 5 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Carbon offsets were never going to work. You can't solve problems caused by capitalism with more capitalism.

I am curious to see what other purely capitalist solutions these braniacs think of next though. I'll be funny to watch the world burn while they keep thinking of ways to pretend to solve the problem while ignoring real solutions

[–] oktherebuddy@hexbear.net 3 points 2 years ago (1 children)

The only real big gun left is Carbon Quantitative Easing, aka Carbon Coin: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_quantitative_easing

[–] Infamousblt@hexbear.net 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Oh boy, quantitative easing has worked so well in all other applications hasn't it. That does seem to be the last bastion of neoliberal stupidity / greed

[–] oktherebuddy@hexbear.net 4 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Essentially it would involve buying off the oil companies by paying them not to pump out their oil that they've identified. Theoretically this would kill the oil companies by giving them a large one-time payment but depriving them of ongoing revenue. It isn't too far out of line with the "buy off the bourgeoisie" proposals I've seen tossed around this site. Although of course more people here would prefer wall-based solutions.

[–] Infamousblt@hexbear.net 4 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Ask LA how that's working out for their water situation! Quantitative easing is such a bunk solution. Just paying people to stop causing problems. It's essentially bribery.

So yeah that's definitely what they'll do. Tax everyone and then pay the oil companies to stop making oil. But then they'll make oil anyway because there won't be any legal reprecussion for taking the money and running

[–] oktherebuddy@hexbear.net 3 points 2 years ago

I think it definitely is bribery. I almost appreciate it in that sense, because it acknowledges the blatant class conflict at play instead of papering over it. Paying the bourgeoisie so they fuck off and stop killing us. Best paired with a 100% inheritance tax so the money comes back in 30 years. I agree enforcement is an issue.