Rob Holdway's Guide to Carbon Offsetting
Carbon offsetting | Does offsetting work? | Find out more | Debates home
Personally, I don't like the term 'offsetting' as it suggests that you can carry on polluting and simply offset your guilt. We actually need to change the way we produce and consume stuff to really reduce our burden on the planet. You can't, for instance, ignore your eco responsibility for owning a 4x4 simply by offsetting.
Our collective carbon footprint is increasing. We can't keep increasing consumption if we are to live sustainably. If the Chinese bought cars like we do in the West, around 20% of their land mass would be turned to roads and car parks.
Energy efficiency of electric products has improved by over one-third in the past 20 years, which should have led to a drop in electricity demand. However, almost all the savings are eaten up with the ever-increasing use of new products. We are fighting hard just to tread water.
