Act: Offset

Whether one is fat or thin, part of the rich in the developed or of the poor in the developing world, or the other way around, what counts is the obvious fact that there is only one atmosphere. Therefore, the argument runs, greenhouse gas emissions saved by one person or in one country are just as valuable as savings by someone else: the atmosphere will still benefit. So if someone wants to emit more than they want to or are allowed to, why not simply pay to help reducing emissions elsewhere? If you want to make a trans-Atlantic flight, for example, then counteract the climate damage you are doing by paying for a specific number of trees to be planted to soak up the carbon you generate. This is the system known as carbon offsetting.

One mystery that puzzles many people considering offsets is working out how much carbon reduction they will really achieve, particularly for projects which sequester carbon. And a question often asked about forestry projects is how permanent their effects will be. For example, during the life-cycle of a tree it will absorb a certain amount of carbon. But if it is burnt or rots away, some of this stored carbon will be released into the atmosphere again. New trees planted will always absorb CO2 as they grow, but if the land was cleared of a natural forest, or another carbon sink, the net effect may be much lower, or even negative.There is also scientific debate over the usefulness of tree planting as a remedy for climate change anyway, with evidence that it may well work at lower latitudes but in temperate regions may even have a warming effect, because the tree canopy absorbs sunlight rather than reflecting it.
There can be other problems with tree-based offsets too. Restoring natural forests may be good. But creating plantations of a single species will produce few benefits for people or wildlife. Non-native fast-growing (and commercially attractive) species like thirsty eucalyptus can cause havoc to local ecosystems.
But trees still have a lot to offer. For a start they are a cheap way of removing CO2 from the atmosphere: US$90 will pay for 900 trees, enough to remove as much carbon annually as the average American generates each year from fossil fuels. They can be a source of fuel wood and therefore slow deforestation. They also help wildlife to thrive, slow down soil erosion, provide timber, fruit and other products – and they are potent symbols of environmental health which most of us recognize. But each time a tree is lost it should be replaced. In short, planting a tree is almost always a good thing. Not all trees planted, however, can be considered as offsets.

To put it simply, carbon offsets aim to neutralize the amount of your GHG contribution by taking your money to fund projects which should cause an Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144  |  Page 145  |  Page 146  |  Page 147  |  Page 148  |  Page 149  |  Page 150  |  Page 151  |  Page 152  |  Page 153  |  Page 154  |  Page 155  |  Page 156  |  Page 157  |  Page 158  |  Page 159  |  Page 160  |  Page 161  |  Page 162  |  Page 163  |  Page 164  |  Page 165  |  Page 166  |  Page 167  |  Page 168  |  Page 169  |  Page 170  |  Page 171  |  Page 172  |  Page 173  |  Page 174  |  Page 175  |  Page 176  |  Page 177  |  Page 178  |  Page 179  |  Page 180  |  Page 181  |  Page 182  |  Page 183  |  Page 184  |  Page 185  |  Page 186  |  Page 187  |  Page 188  |  Page 189  |  Page 190  |  Page 191  |  Page 192  |  Page 193  |  Page 194  |  Page 195  |  Page 196  |  Page 197  |  Page 198  |  Page 199  |  Page 200  |  Page 201  |  Page 202