Ever since I first heard about Personal Carbon Trading, something has rubbed me the wrong way about it.
But first, an explanation.
Let's say you are a (cough) suburban soccer Mom with a big SUV that you drive all around the 'burbs shuttling your kids around to soccer practice, ballet, etc.
You know you buy too much gasoline, and probably hurt the ozone layer as a result. And don't even get me started about how much you spend on utilities for that pretty suburban home of yours.
So in one model of how this works, you can mediate your guilt trip by paying a carbon trading fund an amount of money to fund projects and initatives that will offset the harm you are doing. Maybe fund a wind farm.
So what's wrong with this scenario?
First of all, it reminds me of the indulgences once sold by the Roman Catholic Church. These indulgences would pave the way for absolution from sin.
Of course the wealthy were the ones best able to purchase these indulgences. The poor had far fewer options.
Personal carbon credits strike me as a similar end-run around ethical considerations- buying your way out of the guilt and sin you commit to this planet. And like indulgences, they favor those that have dispensible income.
For the carbon-trading scenario I have described here, true absolution from environmental wrongdoing might have involved staying in the city rather than exurbia, embracing public transit, having one kid instead of three, and rather than owning a car, use vehicle-sharing programs such as Flexcar or Zipcar when and only when you need private transport.
To sum up, you can't do your part to save the planet if you go panting after that lovely home out in the suburbs (or exurbs- amd then as you fill up your road hog every three days to fuel your suburban lifestyle. That's real crap your SUV is putting in the air- and no superficial carbon trading scheme will offset what you are doing.
So maybe tell your Realtor you've had an attack of conscience. If it's not too late, maybe think about a converted loft- and stay on your contraception. Or if you do have kids, I know plenty of families who make city living work.