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« Gore Skips Airport Security Checkpoint | Main | Trunk Show » March 2, 2007Looking for Carbon OffsetsAs I've discussed at length here, Al Gore claims to buy "carbon offsets" from a firm, Generation Investment Management, which he co-founded and serves as chairman. If you visit the firm's website, you will find no mention of carbon offsets . If Generation Investment Management sells them, they don't say so publicly. So, what does Generation Investment Management do? It claims to focus on investing in companies focused on "sustainability" - a catch-all term for environmental friendliness - but what Generation Investment Management really does is manages investments in a portfolio of companies the list of which doesn't seem particularly "green." Here's the list... AFLAC Inc. (insurance) Generation Investment Management doesn't sell carbon offsets. Perhaps Gore's spokesperson meant to tell The Tennessean that Gore buys carbon offsets through one of the companies in which Generation Investment Management has invested. So, which of those companies, exactly, sells carbon offsets? I was at Staples the other day and didn't see any... Update: CheatNeutral.com is a hilarious satire that exposes "carbon offsets" for the joke and scam that they really are. Click the link, and then the "about" button for "Five ways that Cheatneutral is like carbon offsetting." Posted in Environmentalism
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I should write a satire about mass-immigration/population "offsets," though I think the main one is supposed to be bumper crops of ethnic restaurants. Posted by: Donna Locke at March 2, 2007 4:31 PMThere is a mention of carbon offsets on Generation Investment Management's website: "A Carbon Neutral Firm While we are still a small firm with only 23 employees, Generation is committed to reducing the energy use of operations, both direct and indirect. We do this by minimizing non-essential air travel and by managing our building operations (lighting, recycling, and procurement). We have also had conversations with suppliers about energy efficiency. For the remainder of our carbon footprint, we work with two offset providers (The Chicago Climate Exchange and the CarbonNeutral Company) to ensure our London and Washington D.C. offices are fully carbon neutral. In addition, Generation has sponsored a full energy efficiency audit for each employee's residence, including suggestions for ways they can make home energy improvements. Chicago Climate Exchange As an Associate member of the Chicago Climate Exchange, Generation has made a legally binding commitment to purchase Carbon Financial Instruments (CFIs) sufficient to 100% offset the greenhouse gas emissions caused annually by our firm's electricity use and business travel for the period 2005-2010. CarbonNeutral The CarbonNeutral Company is a voluntary offset provider with whom Generation works to offset emissions, particularly for the partners and families of Generation's 23 employees." Moreover, as recently as May 27, 2006, that page used to say: "Generation is committed to offsetting the carbon emissions of its staff and operations, and has selected to work with Future Forests to become CarbonNeutral. To offset emissions, Future Forests in partnership with the Solar Electric Lighting Company (SELCO), will replace environmentally damaging kerosene lamps in rural areas of India and Sri Lanka with cheaper, more efficient solar powered lighting systems which produce zero CO2." If Al Gore is getting his offsets from his company anwywhere, it appears to be from CarbonNeutral, which used to be called Future Forests. Why the name change? The company has a very checkered past. For example, see: Posted by: Anonymous at March 4, 2007 6:29 PMPost a comment
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