Carbon Trading: History Repeating Itself?

(HealthNewsDigest.com) – The Catholic Church was roundly criticized


Let’s see how this works:

Reducing your “carbon footprint,” or the amount of energy you consume, starts with buying carbon credits. In other words, your money goes to a “carbon broker” who promises that, after taking a hefty commission, he will find a way to reduce carbon emissions somewhere on the planet equal to what you have released into the atmosphere because of flying or driving in your part of the world.

For example: Let’s say companies are required to reduce their emissions to X parts per million (ppm). The first business, company A, operates entirely on hydroelectric power and produces zero ppm. Similar-sized Company B operates on coal and produces an excessive 1.5X ppm. With carbon trading, dirty Company B pays A (who already doesn’t pollute) and gets the right to increase its pollution to 2X ppm through burning cheaper and dirtier coal. Of course, even though money changes hands, pollution is not decreased at all.

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