Pirate's Cove

Oh, please

(CNSNews.com) – For those who support it, it offers the reward of "carbon neutrality" without having to lower one’s standard of living. To critics, it allows guilt-free pollution. Either way, the burgeoning carbon offset industry needs more oversight, say two members of Congress.

In a letter to the Government Accountability Office, Republican Reps. Tom Davis of Virginia and Darrell Issa of California asked for an investigation into emission offset programs.

About 60 different companies sell carbon offsets to U.S. consumers but operate under virtually no standards, the congressmen said. They cited reports alleging that some organizations get money for emissions that don’t exist and that others make large profits on cleanups that would have taken place anyway.

"We want to understand the products sold in these markets and make sure they are doing what they say they are," said Davis, the ranking Republican on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

"Offsets are becoming a convenient shortcut for individuals and industry to become ‘carbon neutral.’ Now that we see legislation introduced to direct the federal government to do the same thing, we need a complete picture," Davis said.

On one hand, this is a very bad idea, as it violates the free market policies of Conservatives. Heck, let the idiots feel good about living the high life and planting some trees. It is great for exposing the "do as I say, not as I do" crowd, as well.

On the other hand, it might be interesting to see if any of these companies are actually doing their jobs, or are just taking the money and running. Wouldn’t it be delicious if the Goracles company was found to be a fraud?

Seriously, if folks like the Goracle truly believed, they would make sacrifices, and tone down their polluting, high energy lifestyles.

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