I’m reading a lot lately about companies scrambling to advertise they are carbon neutral. Recently, Dell announced they are carbon neutral. Wolverine, the shoe company is supposedly carbon neutral. I guess I should run out and buy their products because they are carbon neutral. Where is the FTC in all of this? When I was a marketing executive the FTC made us prove every claim before we could advertise that claim. Who decides what constitutes a carbon neutral claim?
According to Dell, they measured their boiler outputs, their company vehicles, etc. Then, they bought enough carbon credits to offset that measurement. But, the people they bought the carbon credits had already put up the windmills and solar panels and would have done so without the carbon credit sales. So, if Dell didn’t actually put up windmills and solar panels, they are not carbon neutral. How about all the carbon emitted to ship the merchandise? That would far exceed the measured carbon they used to set the goal.
So, let the scamming begin. Who can do the best job of selling used coffins? It brings to mind the free range eggs a friend of mine bought once. It was on one of those trips where you pool the bill for a week and split it. When the other three of us saw the free range eggs, it created a huge debate. Basically, the consensus was, baloney. Who really monitors whether those chickens are really laying those eggs outdoors.
When the great Al Gore carbon cap and trade program begins, it will bring out the very worst in many people. Growing plankton is the best scam. Who can count microscopic organisms. Who can measure how much a cow belches and farts? Every landfill in the country will capture the methane they are already trying to capture, but who will measure the volume? How many tons of manure did you deliver to the processing plant? How many algae are in that pond?
Two great new business opportunities. First, find a way to sell a carbon credit. Next, even better, get a job with the government calculating the credits. You can get a nice kickback if you over count. This is a great opportunity for Rod Blagojevich when he gets out of prison.
Europe uses the United Nations to do this work. There’s an organization with a great credibility. Remember how well they did with Saddam’s oil? I’m sure you would be amazed that they have lots of issues regarding the program. We’ll do better here. Just look at Medicare and the little bit of fraud we have with that.
You want this, just go along for the ride. If you think this is something like free range eggs, sound nice, but maybe, just maybe you’re being had, then stand up and say no. Otherwise just sit back and pay and watch it careen out of control.
I think you can get a job as a carbon emissions trader. I have read a few short articles on the subject and I think most of the trading is centered in London. Wall Street would never miss a chance to be the middle man especially in a product like this where it is impossible to determine a true valuation. This is on the short list of catalysts for the next financial crisis. I suspect underfunded pensions (both private and public) will hit us first though.
Pete. You have been spot on all along on your projections. Ultimately, renewable energy that can’t be sold at any reasonable market price will be a bubble. Probably after a few trillion is lost.
Bill
I juust completed a trip from IlL to AZ ,I went through Missouri, Southern Kansas, North Texas, New Mexico and Northern AZ and then to Southern AZ. What impressed me is that only .000001% of that area is populated. I think the green stuff is the the biggest joke ever put on man. If all the fools who want to think green is so vital they should move to Southwest Kansas.
Or, Nebraska near a cattle feedlot. They can commune with nature every day.