A post by Maynard
Perhaps you’ve heard the Al Gores of the world justify their energy-intensive jet-set lifestyles by explaining how their carbon offsets render them carbon neutral. The idea is that CO2 creation should be balanced by CO2-absorbing activity such as planting trees. New York City is planning to plant a million trees in the next ten years to reduce carbon emissions.
I see the theory, but I’m skeptical about the practice. The fact is, we are burning fossil fuels much more quickly than the planet can create them. I don’t see how we can plant trees fast enough to balance our fuel consumption. If this were possible, then the logical goal would be to stop burning oil and coal and gas, and transform the world into a wood-burning economy. That would truly be carbon neutral. It would also be impossible.
Another inconvenient fact is that planting trees doesn’t necessarily fight global warming and may actually make things worse. The calculations are complex, but when you consider these questions, you have to take into account the change in surface color. A darker planet absorbs more of the Sun’s heat energy, instead of bouncing it back into space. That’s just as bad as adding greenhouse gas to the atmosphere.
As I’ve said before, I’m not going to dismiss concerns about climate change. The quest for sustainable energy sources is an important one, and I’d like to see us seriously grapple with it. But in my humble opinion, we’re going to find answers in research laboratories and not at music festivals.
By the way, here’s the website for Al Gore’s environmentally-responsible investment company, Generation Investment Management (see also Wikipedia). I guess it’s an upscale operation, because they don’t seem to be soliciting investments from the common folk. Too bad; I actually might have been curious enough to break open my piggy bank and buy a share or two. (Hey, maybe one of you financial mavens out there can explain to me what this means.)
SEC Form 13F requires disclosure of the names of institutional investment managers, the names of the securities they manage and the class of securities, the CUSIP number, the number of shares owned, and the total market value of each security.
Martin Luther helped rid us of the religious version of carbon offsets. They were called, “plenary indulgences”.
the global warming hennypennies lack one very important need in any argument, FACTS. they have not one scientific fact to back up theirr malicious lie. weather channel is the worst offender. the only thing you can believe is the current local radar, NOTHING ELSE. algore, jfk, jr. should be committed to a quiet room for their obsession. what a couple of maroons. dittios tammy, love your books
How can planting a tree be a carbon offset? Al Gore and his jet-set crowd didn’t create the seeds for the trees to plant, all they do is transplant a tree from the nearest nursery to their mansions.
These people don’t really even know how trees work through photosynthesis. Trees can only process CO2 to O2 when the sun is actually shining. CO2 emission is a 24/hr day process.
Global warming on Mars is in pace with warming on the Earth. It’s the sun.
Still, the long view is that species survival would likely be helped by serious underground habitat powered by Nuclear plants. Asteroids, super volcano events, there are lots of threats.
Anyone with a serious intent to reduce co2 emission should see that Nuke plant electricity is the one practical way, as well.
The unspoken and MOST inconvenient truth about “global warming” is that adherents of this belief are politically motivated primarily, less environmentally, and push the fiction of dangerous global warming as a political football. In the end, to object to the hysterical hype of global warmists, will be a crime against nature, with everyone from mere doubters to accomplished scientists being ridiculed, singled out for violence on a scale commensurate with child molesters.
Other planets in our solar system are Indeed getting hotter; astronomic exo-physicists ARE reading higher temperatures on Mars, Pluto and Uranus(I’ll pass on the obvious gag)lately.
Look- It’s all about ‘carbon offsets’,and identifying dastardly corporations they do not like, while promoting a terrestial religion which, like radical Islam for example, says that if you do not accept our beliefs only, then you will see our wrath.
I have yet to see any solid, conclusive proof, beyond question, which proves a dangerous global warming trend.
I gotta go; it’s pouring rain again outside, for the 20th day in a row. LOL
These hypocrites are amazing… they just use their money to excuse their behaviors.
Here is a good website to Carbon Credit Killers to use to offset the carbon credit fans! 🙂
I wonder if JKFjr realizes that 70 yes 70% of France’s electricity comes from NUCLEAR power. Italy,Finland,England and others are scrambling to build nuclear facilities right now but you won’t hear bobby screaming acid rain NO SIR!!. If anyone was fortunate enough to see Sean Hannity pose the question to bobby about flying privately you missed a truly priceless moment. Sean asked him: “Do you fly in a private jet?” bobby’s answer, “I’m not going to dignify that with an answer!” of course you won’t because you can’t answer truthfully without being exposed for the hypocrite you are you phony!!!! I haven’t had a laugh that good in quite some time. If I’m approached by a hypocrite errrr liberal I’ll tell them this, I’ll hang my clothes on a clothesline the same day Babs does. She is the one who asked us to do just that right? Someone should tell her to haul her concert gear around in a conastoga wagon train and see her expression when you do. P.S. don’t forget your camera for it will be a kodak moment of the highest order!!!!!!!!
I have lived in the same rural area for almost forty years. Locally, many small farmers have switched to more profitable endeavors and left their fields fallow. I have seen hay fields become forests in that time. There is no need to plant a million new trees in NYC. God is taking care of it here and elsewhere.
Listen al gore is thinking of way to make him look good while the American people get it in the rear if we truly want to clean the air then let work on it without weaking the american business.
About the only thing I remember from high school physics is that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. The Earth heats up, the Earth cools down, the Earth heats up, the Earth cools down–the planet has gone through these cycles before, and will probably continue to go through these cycles longer than we here now can even comprehend. I remember many years ago when I was in school, the big thing was that we were headed into another ice age.
The planet can’t go from ice age to global warming in 35 or 40 years. I’m not saying we don’t have to manage our resources and try to be wise stewards for the planet, but this “Chicken Little” hysteria is extreme. The whole “carbon offset” idea screams scam to me, but what do I know? I can only remember one law of physics. Oh wait, gravity–that makes 2 laws I remember from H.S. physics.
It would be nice if we were able to use the basic principle of judo here, and accomplish something good for long term human survival.
With those who refuse to give up the co2 reduction mania we trade something.
They get massive co2 reduction by giving us freedom to build nuke plants to generate most of our electricity. We do it massively so as to make cheap electrical power a major incentive to go electrical for our wheels.
We build underground plants and beginnings of habitat so as to move toward survival infrastructure, utilized one day in a post asteroid / post super volcano environment.
We do it not for us but for descendants 150,000 years down the line.
I know. It’s a crazy dream, Man lasting long enough to make it out of this solar system before the supernova wake up call.
🙂 Sorry I just can’t let it go. 🙂
I offset MY carbon footprint by planting SOMETHING for two hours yesterday…but it had nothing to do with trees. Let’s just say the Mrs. was a happy camper for the rest of the day…
Al Gore is just playing mind games with his carbon offsets. What he shows us is that he feels he is above the “common folk” and, of course, must have and use more resources. Someone else can reduce their carbon output, right? Now, what if ALL of us relied on carbon offsets? I guess I can spew all the carbon I want to because my yard is just full of trees and bushes to offset whatever carbon I create.
If Al Gore is so concerned with carbon, he should LEAD BY EXAMPLE: sell his mansions, buy a little condo, junk the jet, and get a bicycle. Not only would he actually reduce his enormous carbon production, but he just might also reduce his rather substantial…uh…well…