Landowners Plant Trees to Consume Gases [1]
COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho - Some landowners in the Pacific Northwest are planting new forests of trees to consume greenhouse gases and potentially buffer climate change,…
Good, good. I am in favor of planting trees to improve air quality.
…in a business called carbon forestry.
The Nez Perce Tribe of Idaho recently planted 5,000 acres of new forest along the Clearwater River and is in the process of selling carbon credits from the land.
Oh, oh. Not so good. What's up with this?
The trees can be worth money to energy companies and other businesses under increasing pressure to offset the carbon dioxide they emit, said Ted Dodge, director of the National Carbon Offset Coalition of Butte, Mont.
You just have to know money is at the root of this.
"We believe this is going to be the largest commodity market in the world," Dodge told a group of foresters and land managers earlier this week…
Alright, here is what is wrong with this. I am all in favor of planting trees to help the environment. But, this offset scheme people are concocting is nonsensical because it amounts to a zero sum game as far as carbon emissions are concerned. In theory, there could be no net improvement in air quality.
So, what to do?
The best people can do is recognize carbon offsets as the nonsense they really are and push back wherever they can. Reforestration is good. Polluting the air is bad. And the one should not be used to offset the other.
Tag: environment
Trackposted to Outside the Beltway, Perri Nelson's Website, and Conservative Cat, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.
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