carbon offsets news stories on Newser

London Ditches Carbon Offsets for 2012 Olympics

Matt Cantor — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 15:58:05 CDT

As part of London’s bid to host the 2012 Summer Olympics, organizers offered a plan to keep the Games green—but they’ve changed their minds. The committee will “no longer pursue formal offsetting procedures,” it said, dropping its pledge to balance carbon emissions from the Games with clean-energy investments in...

Nations Near Deal to Save Tropical Forests

John Johnson — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 12:55:21 CST

Looks like the UN climate talks under way in Cancun could yield at least one tangible deal—an agreement to start saving the world's tropical forests. The concept is simple enough: Developing nations such as Brazil, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea would be paid to stop bulldozing their forests, reports...

'Counterproductive' Offsets Ditched

Rob Quinn — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:54:16 CST

Carbon offsets are becoming big business, but many emissions experts say green travel is too good to be true. Responsible Travel was one of the first travel firms to offer customers the chance to pay extra money to help offset emissions caused by their air miles. But it has now...

Gore's Climate Crusade Misguided, Wasteful

Harry Kimball — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:40:00 CDT

Global warming is real, but Al Gore’s crusade to curb carbon emissions is misguided and will squander money that could be applied cheaply and efficiently to those problems now , Danish statistician Bjørn Lomborg writes in Esquire . “Here’s the truth: There are better, more cost-effective ways to fight global warming,” Lomborg...

Climate Bill Doesn't Go Far Enough

Harry Kimball — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 17:00:18 CDT

The Waxman-Markey climate change bill isn’t as bad for business as its detractors claim, and “that’s the problem,” Bryan Walsh writes in Time . Because of concessions to coal and farm states that depend on the carbon economy, the bill is watered down and seeks to achieve emission reduction through efficiency...

Calif. Branches Into Forests to Fight Climate Change

Mary Papenfuss — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 03:10:00 CDT

The California government is preparing to enter into the "forest bank" business in a bid to save woodlands and battle carbon pollution and climate change, reports the Los Angeles Times. The state is expected to roll out a California "cabon market" that may be expanded elsewhere in the West if...

Fliers Ease Carbon Guilt Via Donations

Katherine Thompson — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 17:51:08 CST

Guilty about the carbon footprint of your frequent flights? Have a few bucks to spare and time to kill at San Francisco's airport? The firm 3Degrees is banking on such a combination as it prepares to roll out the nation's first fleet of kiosks offering carbon offsets. No one is...

Germany Pledges Billions for Rainforest Protection

Dustin Lushing — Wed, 28 May 2008 14:33:41 CDT

Germany will spend billions of euros protecting tropical rainforests in an effort to halt global warming. Chancellor Angela Merkel said today at the United Nations' biodiversity conference that Germany will increase its funding for the conservation of rainforests from $330 million to $1.1 billion in the next three years...

Frolic Guilt-Free in Costa Rica

Ambreen Ali — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 18:38:03 CDT

If carbon-footprint guilt is keeping you from taking a vacation, one company has your sun-soaked answer, TreeHugger reports. From the domestic flight to the hotel stay—and even airport transfers in biodiesel vans—NatureVacations' eco-friendly package to Costa Rica promises to offset every ounce of carbon you produce on your...