The Carbon Credit/Foot Print Hocus Pocus

Obama has little time to curb global warming Mother Nature, of course, is oblivious to the federal government's machinations. Ironically, 2008 is on pace to be a slightly cooler year in a steadily rising temperature trend line. Experts say it's thanks to a La Nina weather variation. While skeptics are already using it as evidence of some kind of cooling trend, it actually illustrates how fast the world is warming.

Does anyone think that last sentence is about as dumb as it gets? '...cooling trend demonstrates how fast the world is warming'? Where did that line of reasoning come from? Perhaps they're listening to Katy Perry's Hot and Cold?

I also note that one of their 'experts is claiming we're out of time because things are going extinct.Really? Better yet use the following google search 'thought to be extinct discovered'. Amazing what a little simple research of your own will reveal.

While I'm all for a cleaner earth as in don't litter, I'm not at all convinced man is the sole perpetrator in global warming. It's ocean currents, sun and moon cycles, that play the major role in determining what our global climate is. Yammer all you like about carbon dioxide, carbon credits, whatever...carbon dioxide is what humans and animals alike breath out in exchange for the oxygen breathed in and there is nothing to change that (unless you die of course), no matter how many non existent carbon credits you buy.

What is a Carbon Credit, anyway?

Who's keeping count of how much carbon I emit? EPA? Nope, YOU are trusted (at this point) to tell the truth about your reckless carbon emitting ways.

Who profits from them and what do they really do with the money?Fear mongering through guilt.

So, lets see if I understand this correctly: As a human I inhale oxygen produced by trees (what a bitch I am for stealing that tree's oxygen!). I exhale carbon dioxide that the tree needs to survive. (Do I get to charge the tree for using up my co2?). My home emits co2 as well. (Okay, now I'm overworking the trees. Do they get paid overtime or do I just buy an extra carbon credit to cover all my bases?) My car actually emits Carbon Monoxide, not the same as carbon dioxide, (ask any chemistry teacher that one). So why would I buy a carbon credit to cover that?

Where was I? Oh. Let the guilt set in. I'm killing innocent trees and wildlife.(Evidently wildlife gets a free pass on its carbon dioxide emissions) I go online to any carbon credit calculator and figure out how much carbon dioxide I emit, then find someone to sell the credits to me and they go plant trees using my money? Why does every carbon calculator come up with a different amount of carbon use? Can they prove they actually planted the trees? Why can't I just go plant a couple trees of my own and be done with it? They already trust me enough to tell them how much carbon I emit,

Because it's a get rich quick scheme, that's why. It's a form of power and control over the useful idiots who buy into this stuff and would rather pay a couple hundred dollars to 'offset' their guilty lazy asses from actually doing anything substantive toward cleaning up litter from the side of the road or dragging trash out of the river or ocean.

It's also listing toward government control over our daily lives. It's listing toward wealth redistribution. We are being repeatedly told we have to learn to do more with less conveniences. It's only a matter of time before we either revolt or submit. Right now, it looks like people are more willing to submit. Anything else is too much like work, self reliance, and responsibility.

UPDATE
Strong As An Ox compares carbon offsets (now being sold at an airport kiosk near you!) to the pet rock fad. I humbly suggest a chia pet instead, as they're green!