SFist Photo: Those Carbon Offset Bumper Stickers
No, this bit isn't about hating on a subset of Volvo drivers, as Jon Carroll currently occupies the field.
We've never really noticed those carbon offset bumper stickers before. You can get one of them by sending money off to an outfit like TerraPass.
They'll promise to start offsetting and then send you back the sticker (or a framed certificate if you're trying to offset something non-automotive like an entire wedding) Good idea? How much do they cost?
Well, as cheap as $29.95 for offsetting your car for one year. Is there a watchword you should be looking out for? Yes. See you after the jump.
The watchword is additionality. In other words, would the good thing you are trying to accomplish have happened anyway?
This issue is explored by the respected Christian Science Monitor here. A more skeptical view comes from BusinessWeek, which seems to support the notion that "nature doesn't fall for accounting schemes." And also, the New York Times weighs in with a funny cartoon here.
You can find a fairly recent survey of these typse of businesses here and here.
If you don't want to worry about all of that, you can always get customized offset certificates for free here. Good times.
Let's say you hook up with a more reputable company. Then you might ask if an offset is akin to a Roman Catholic indulgence? You know, the kind of thing that Martin Luther got all mad about. Some experts believe so. What do you think?