Is anyone else buying carbon credits to offset CO2 from travel?

[iriejohn]

As a kiter who loves to travel to spots around the world I’m really starting to think about the impact this has on the planet. For example, the amount of carbon produced to fly across the Atlantic is more than my hybrid electric car produces in a year of driving. This can be offset by purchasing habitat to replant 300 trees (approx $500).

Does anyone else take means to offset thier carbon footprint when they fly? Has anyone else decided to fly less to reduce thier carbon footprint?

Are any kite brands taking CO2 offset measures created by the manufacturing and shipping of gear?

And exactly what do you think is the sum total carbon manufacturing footprint cost of your "hybrid electric car"?

[salvino]

How about all the child labor abuse to get the cobalt for those “green” batteries. The Congo is corrupt as stink towards mining that stuff.

Then, the inherent inefficiency of battery power.

Then disposal of batteries.

There must be other ways besides buying all this government bullshit to lessen dependency on the wrong countries.

At least when we kite we can feel the free wind from the sun’s energy.

[plummet]

Carbon credits are bullshit...

Let me pose a politically incorrect comparison.

You are a serial killer and really enjoy murdering, You know its wrong, but you enjoy it and want to continue to murder. So to offset your murdering lifestyle you donate to the murder prevention society. That way others can be prevented from murder while you continue...................

Not really right is it?

If you think something you are doing is wrong. Stop doing it.

[Greenturtle]

Not sure on exact numbers but Im pretty sure coal fired power plants are the biggest contributor to greenhouse gasses. I live in coal country and I can tell you the pollution goes far beyond the insanity of burning the stuff. Just mining it completely destroys a previously beautiful and oxygen producing landscape and reduces the area to an acidic wasteland with toxic runoff.

Anyway my point is that your plane ticket doesn’t add squat to this. If you want to reduce carbon emissions then vote accordingly to tighten restrictions on burning coal, and encourage others to do so as well. In our modern world there are viable alternatives that can, much more cleanly, produce the same amount of power. Such as wind.

[Kamikuza]

Meanwhile in Asia, half the world is riding two-stroke scooters and burning of their paddy fields a couple of times a year.

Yeah... nah.

[fernmanus]

You would buy carbon offsets???

In the word of the immortal P.T. Barnum “A Sucker’s Born every minute.”

[SolarSet]

Carbon credits are bullshit...

Let me pose a politically incorrect comparison.

You are a serial killer and really enjoy murdering, You know its wrong, but you enjoy it and want to continue to murder. So to offset your murdering lifestyle you donate to the murder prevention society. That way others can be prevented from murder while you continue...................

Not really right is it?

If you think something you are doing is wrong. Stop doing it.

It's silly analogy as if you murder someone this person is gone for good. If you damage environment by emitting toxic substance and there is a way to reverse effect and you do it, You reverse harm. We are not there yet to resurrect dead but we can sometime tidy up mess me make in out environment.

My personal opinion is that CO2 is not causing green house effect nor other gases we produce however by burning diesel fuel in car we do pollute air and we should focus on replacing old cars with cleaner counterpart.
I'm all for cars with efficient engine as we should reduce fuel consumption for fossil fuels will last longer

[Peert]

My personal opinion is that CO2 is not causing green house effect nor other gases we produce...

Amazing how people can deny 'unfavourable' facts...

By having an opinion. If you would confirm the added greenhouse effect of CO2 and Methane emissions FACT you would have to act consequently in order not to feel bad about your behaviour?

Psychology has some nice explanations for this type of externalisation behaviours.

My personal opinion is that a duck is a fish....
Silly? think about it...

[Kamikuza]

My personal opinion is that CO2 is not causing green house effect nor other gases we produce...

Amazing how people can deny 'unfavourable' facts...

By having an opinion. If you would confirm the added greenhouse effect of CO2 and Methane emissions FACT you would have to act consequently in order not to feel bad about your behaviour?

Psychology has some nice explanations for this type of externalisation behaviours.

My personal opinion is that a duck is a fish....
Silly? think about it...

Yes but is buying carbon offsets going to do anything at all? Except maybe assuaging some misplaced first world guilt.

[BWD]

Ahh, peert.
The greenhouse gas hypothesis remains that, with climate records limits to very few years and subject to every human bias, “climate scientists” rely on proxy measures even farther steps removed from the data they seek to infer. All the proxies are subject to bias and vulnerable to the “post hoc ergo propter hoc” error among others.
The psychology mentioned also skips key facts:
A rational actor must not only see a purported relationship that contextualizes his actions, he must accept the relationship (here: co2 and ch4 => “gLoBaL WaRmInG”) as true and conclude his actions materially affect the outcome. Both of these are among the preconditions for rational action. He would also have to conclude not just that his actions matter but that “everyone else” ( maybe 700M people, mostly westerners) would go along and their actions would outweigh the carbon economy of the other 6B or so earthlings. Otherwise his actions would be futile, wouldn’t they?
If he is merely told what to do and badgered about it until he accepts that anthropogenic warning occurs, is bad, and that the co2 hypothesis is correct, he is acting not by logic but because of faith, guilt, status-seeking, desire to please, etc.
psychology indeed, jah.