To the Editor,
Re: Offsets aid in achieving neutrality, May 24.
It upsets me to see the rosy lens through which carbon offsets are presented to the public. There is an entirely other side of the story that was not represented in the feature article on Tuesday.
Providing carbon offsets for companies with terrible environmental standards is not tackling the issue.
It simply allows them to continue practising atrociously irresponsible environmental ethics, and buying a more acceptable report card with their savings.
Carbon offsets legitimize and facilitate bad behaviour.
Where is the need to invest huge money in an effort to reduce their carbon footprint, when companies can simply purchase a good record for less? They can pat themselves on the back for being ‘carbon neutral’ while they pump out toxins and rape our ecosystems.
Does something seem strange here? Carbon offsets are a joke that allow the culprits to dress up as outstanding global citizens.
I say we tax them hard so they may have to actually evaluate their actions.
Denise Slade
Nanaimo