In December of last year I wrote a little about Carbon Offsets and how wonderful I thought they were from the perspective of Environmental Reciprocity (giving back what you take). But the more time I spend thinking about them, the less I like them.
Here is a short play on the topic:
A Vermonter, a Priest, a Buddhist, and a Car Enthusiast are all chatting online. Here's their conversation.
Vermonter: I drive my car a lot, and well, I feel guilty about that. Every time I turn on a car, I feel a little twitch in my soul that wishes there was a less polluting solution. But there is no bus, train, or horse-drawn buggy to Higher Ground in South Burlington. What should I do?
Car Enthusiast (CE): Just go to the show and buy some carbon credits or offsets later. Native Energy is a local Carbon Offset company - you should check them out.
Buddhist: Carbon credits are like good karma, you just need to be in balance. It would be better if you remained at home and did not increase the entropy of the universe, but if you must take this trip then offset the emissions so that you may maintain your balance. For all that is bad there must be something good done to regain equilibrium in the universe. Above all, though, I also recommend re-evaluating your attachment to this show at Higher Ground. Do you really need to go?
Vermonter: Well, I'd really like to go - I think it'd be fun!
CE: Check it out, carbon credits are pretty cheap ~ $15 for a whole ton of carbon!
Priest: This reminds me of a rather dark period of the church. Carbon credits are a modern version of Medieval Indulgences. Are you familiar with that idea? They're extremely similar. My Buddhist friend, I agree that it would be best to stay home and enjoy life there rather than polluting, but your idea of Karma creates a false equation. If you help your one brother, and punch your other brother, the reality is your healthy relationship with the one does not redeem the broken relationship with the other. That relationship is still broken and needs to be healed. One does not make up for the other.
And ultimately karma, like Indulgences, functions as a license - even though we both know that's not what they're intended for. You said, 'For all that is bad there must be something good done to regain equilibrium in the universe', but people run that equation the other direction. For everything good done in the universe, you are allowed that much bad to maintain equilibrium in the universe.
Vermonter: I get it. That's like when I ate that bag of Cheetos yesterday. I knew they were bad for me, but I figured I'd eaten mainly tofu and organic carrot sticks all day. So I felt entitled to that bag of junk food... But then I felt like my stomach had exploded. Ugh!
CE: Mmmmm, Cheetos. I can't believe you like Tofu, that stuff is so bland and nasty. Hey, don't worry about this trip ~ I just bought 33,000 miles worth of carbon credits for $120 - I'll pick you up and drive you to Burlington. Where do you live? I'm coming from Grand Isle, pretty far, I know, but don't sweat it - I've already paid for that pollution.
Priest: Are you familiar with the phrase 'Shall we continue to sin that grace may abound?'
CE: no. Why?
Priest: Never mind. You know, while you're working on paying for the pollution from your car, why not pay for the pollution from your parents' cars? They didn't have carbon offset programs 50 years ago. And man, those were gas guzzlers! How about your dead uncle's pollution? He certainly can't pay for those from the grave. Or how about Lucy who lives in poverty next door. She can barely afford her car, let alone paying for emissions. Looks like you've got a lot of polluted conscience to buy off. Where do you work, anyway?
CE: Ah, leave it, you killjoy! I've bought my way out of hell and condemnation and a guilty conscience, so I'll go on ahead and do whatever I damn well please.
Vermonter: Um... can I still get that ride?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment