Post by
no1coalking on Jan 28, 2008 2:48pm
C-Lock is All About Carbon Credits:
CLIMATE: U.S. House's carbon offsets show difficulty of market (01/28/2008)
The House of Representatives' purchase of carbon offsets last year to balance its pollution is causing some to question the value of such a program.
In November, the new Democratic-led House of Representatives paid about $89,000 for carbon offsets with the goal of cancelling out greenhouse-gas emissions from House buildings by triggering an equal reduction in emissions elsewhere (Greenwire, Dec. 12, 2007).
But critics argue the money went to projects that were already under way, meaning the purchase had little overall effect.
"It didn't change much behavior that wasn't going to happen anyway," said Joseph Romm, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress who writes a blog calling for more aggressive action on climate change. "It just, I think, demonstrated why offsets are controversial and possibly pointless. ... This is a waste of taxpayer money."
The House bought the offsets through the Chicago Climate Exchange, a five-year-old commodities market where greenhouse-gas credits are traded. Some of the money went to farmers in North Dakota for tilling practices that keep carbon buried in the soil. But some farmers were already doing this because the practice saves fuel, brings in federal soil-conservation funds and could increase crop yields.
Officials at the exchange said the House's purchase was positive because it gave money to those who were helping to combat climate change.
"It basically rewards people for having done things that had environmental good in the past and incentivizes people to do things that have environmental good in the future," said Richard Sandor, the exchange's chairman and CEO.
Daniel Beard, the House's chief administrative officer, said he did not regret the purchase, despite questions on the money's effect.
"Whether they were going to do it or not" without the House funds, "the point is that they did do it," he said (David A. Fahrenthold, Washington Post, Jan. 28). -- SG
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