Saturday, September 19, 2009
Profiteering in carbon offsets
If the price of gasoline goes too high, politicians and liberals inveigh against "profiteering" and such, notwithstanding the favorable impact that higher gasoline prices have (by discouraging consumption) on the output of anthropogenic carbon dioxide. But if you sell carbon offsets at an abusive profit (and therefore discourage carbon sequestration) right there in San Francisco airport, nobody gives a rat's ass, least of all the people that would have you believe that carbon dioxide will lead to TEOTWAWKI. Apparently it is bad to "profiteer" in a good that hurts the environment, no matter how much it would reduce consumption of that good, but just fine to overcharge for a good that helps the environment.
Glad we got that straight.
5 Comments:
By 
Unknown, at
Sat Sep 19, 09:38:00 PM:
So, does this mean the free market is alive and well in San Francisco? I lived there for 2 years, and this in NOT the stupidest thing I saw there.
By Dawnfire82, at
Sun Sep 20, 01:44:00 AM:
You can always charge more for luxury goods. Especially indulgences.
By A Conservative Teacher, at
Sun Sep 20, 08:47:00 AM:
It isn't what the carbon does to the environment- it is who profits. If conservatives, Republicans, or average people profit, that's bad- if liberals, Democrats, or elites profit, that's good. Once you wrap your brain around this fact, you'll understand liberal behavior better.
By Donna B., at
Mon Sep 21, 12:20:00 AM:
It was about three years ago that our family began to receive requests to buy "carbon offsets" or "credits" or whatever on the timberland we own.
Right now, we're making much more money leasing mineral rights. When the carbon people start talking about leasing rather than buying, maybe we'll start listening.
By Brian, at
Mon Sep 21, 12:57:00 AM:
The key to analyzing this is to remember that WattsUp is stupid and misleading. Always.
The comparison here is like comparing buying a pound of coffee beans at Starbucks with the cost at a Chicago commodities market. Apple, meet orange. Especially since even WattsUp acknowledge price weirdness in the CCX market.
A better comparison would be similar small scale, consumer-oriented programs like TerraPass and Carbonfund. They charge $6 to $9 a ton. The $12/ton price at airport sounds like a typical airport markup, like everything else you can buy there.
This kind of critique is par for the course at WattsUp.
