BBC's Ethical Man

C_Ronaldo · 6 March 2007 at 4:35PM

i watched it too, very interesting as well, we have energy saving bulbs and turn all tvs off standby

Fritha_2 · 6 March 2007 at 5:07PM

speedyjoe wrote:

You can stand on your head for half an hour a day if that makes you feel any better about your environmentally unfriendly consumption but like carbon offsetting it won't make b*gger all difference. Once that carbon is released from the Earth, where it has lain locked up for millions of years, planting a few trees ain't gonna put it back again.

Not that planting trees is a bad thing - you should just do that anyway :-)

Ah, but here's my point:

Buying milk is better in glass bottles, they can be reused, they're less environmetally deamaging (I think!) etc etc. But there isn't anywhere or anyone anywhere round here that sells milk in glass bottles. So I buy it in plastic bottles then recycle the bottles. Not perfect but better than nothing.

I apply the same principal to carbon offsetting, it's not perfect and it's not an answer. But if you're going to fly anyway then surely it's better to carbon offset the trip than do nothing at all? Cartainly cut down on flights (this will be Mr Fritha's first trip on a plane ever, and my first for nearly a decade!), if there is another option then take it. But doing anything to make up for it is better than doing nothing? It's not like Mr Ethical did, an excuse to jet around the world willy nilly (which I can see you might have thought I meant!) it's just a way to bring a bit of balance to the trips that are going to be made anyway?

Do you see what I mean? Carbon offsetting isn't 'completely' pointless, it just has it's place! :-)

speedyjoe · 6 March 2007 at 5:39PM

Fritha wrote:

Ah, but here's my point:

Do you see what I mean? Carbon offsetting isn't 'completely' pointless, it just has it's place! :-)

No I don't see the "point" of carbon offsetting because like standing on your head it doesn't "offset" anything. All it does is salve consciences and help oil the wheels of the consumer society juggernaut.

yell25 · 6 March 2007 at 5:43PM

The cheapest place by far is that link above for https://www.!!!!!! they have £5 and £10 off money vouchers on the site so you get a good discount.

Fritha_2 · 7 March 2007 at 10:19AM

speedyjoe wrote:

No I don't see the "point" of carbon offsetting because like standing on your head it doesn't "offset" anything. All it does is salve consciences and help oil the wheels of the consumer society juggernaut.

Fair enough, I do see your point but I disagree, I think we've probably reached stalmate so lets agree to disagree :-)

SusanCarter · 7 March 2007 at 1:00PM

EbiCo have a different way of carbon offsetting. I wouldn't like to comment on it and don't want to start great debates but thought it might be interesting for those with views on carbon offset schemes.

Andreg · 7 March 2007 at 11:51PM

The question about carbon offsetting is whether it actually causes a reduction in carbon emissions? For example, many carbon offsetting schemes plant trees, but does this just cause a surplus in supply of softwood and hence reduce the amount of trees that forestry companies would have planted anyway?

One so called carbon offset scheme is to plant trees to create an eco-park. But wont this just cause more people to drive from the nearest city to visit the park, producing more carbon than was saved?

My view is that most carbon offset schemes are worth very little. The only real ways to reduce carbon emissions are 1) do it yourself, and 2) lobby government to increase the subsidies for carbon saving and to increase the levies on carbon burning.

billy_the_kid_2 · 9 March 2007 at 10:54AM

Ethical man was wasting his time. Have you watched 'The Great Global Warming Swindle' last night on Channel 4.

Reducing his carbon footprint will have absolutely no effect on global warming.

gromituk · 10 March 2007 at 1:47AM

...if you take as gospel one television documentary, designed to be polemic and to pander to people who don't want to lift a finger to make positive change, then of course, you'd be right. :rolleyes:

VJ13 · 12 March 2007 at 12:41PM

Fritha I have been looking at the link you have put for the gadget and it as per your quote has "reusable nappies, water saving devices, cleaning products, recycling, stuff that the ordinary Joe can do" and there are lots of promo codes to use. Have a look at the whole site: https://www.!!!!!!

I personally thought the program was rather blassé in regards to being green, and the reporter didn't seem to take it seriously like his wife said "write in viewers" after he had gone on his flight to Jamaica

BBC's Ethical Man

Comments

Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply

🚀 Getting Started

Categories

Is this how you want to be seen?

Get our FREE Weekly email full of deals & guides - and it’s spam-free