How do you feel about carbon offsets?
I was wondering how the community felt about carbon offsets.
| what? | 47 | |
| no opinion | 8 | |
| pointless | 33 | |
| useful | 13 |
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dappled
Controversial in the same way that Communism is controversial. Offsetting (in a larger sense) is perhaps the best idea I've heard. But then, so is Communism.
The problem with trying to implement something intrinsically fair is that people (and business) don't want fairness. They want to be able to get an advantage for themselves.
Capitalism is the system which most closely models our reality (Darwinism) and I don't think there's any getting away from that. The system is not compatible with finite resource and, at the moment, that's what we have.
I think, left unchecked, we're heading for a disaster. At which point Darwinism will again kick in and a proportion of humans may adapt and survive.
There are two tipping points, though. At some point, we will discover a near-infinite energy resource. Also, we will one day be able to exploit the resources of other planets. Those two are intrinsically linked.
I think our environmental problems will cause huge shrinkage (which will be good for the planet) and we'll continue in a boom and bust cycle until either we extinguish ourselves (via a not considerable number of vectors) or we discover the ability to transcend ourselves (via an energy source).
Being honest, I don't think we're going to get off the planet in any appreciable way. I think Earth is going to be our graveyard.
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Devyn
The unlimited energy point is in about 20 years time. Fusion's nearly there (a generator has been run for a short time at 100% efficiency and many work at 80%). Fusion only emits water, has the potential to produce huge amounts of energy and has fuel readily available to provide for over 3000 years of use.
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dappled
There's a long way to go in terms of plasma confinement. The last attempt I saw produced about two thirds of the energy it required to run it (so the net effect was that it was running at a loss).
Things are improving and I've been watching the progress of ITER after reading an article about it last year. That will produce more power than it costs to run.
From what I can see, there could be a fusion reactor capable of powering a small town within twenty years but as a global resource, it's at least a century away.
I'm not sure about a fusion reaction producing water (hydrogen cells do, but that's not fusion). The fuel cycles I've seen produce neutrons, Hydrogen, and Helium isotopes.
There could always be a breakthrough, though, or a different way of thinking about containing the reaction.
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jucedaguy
I think its real clever to Tax the one thing that EVERTHING on the face of this earth relies on to exist.
After all Carbon is a basic building block of ALL matter!
Once again, it is a game of the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
And they sell it to you by saying It's the cause of all your woes!
Guilt, the most basic of all sales techniques!!!Comment Hidden ( show ) -
[Old Memory]
I am made of carbon. I am not sure that being offset, sounds like a lot of fun.
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[Old Memory]
My "feelings" about it are angry feelings.
My government half-assed their participation in the Kyoto Protocol like it's some sort of joke and then withdrew altogether when it stood in the way of making huge money in the Tar Sands. It makes me stomping mad. Not many people seem to care either because everyone is getting paid.
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OswaldCobblepot
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[Old Memory]
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Imsupernormal
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dirtybirdy
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BlueJeansWhiteShirt
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