Ceratinly a concept new to me - checking out my booking confirmation for a long haul flight next week (of which I plan to gloat more on!), Virgin running across the top of the page offered me a method of undoing the damage I am inflicting by traversing the Atlantic for 9 hours. By handing over my bank details and the logistics of my flight, their online system can ‘off set’ the spiraling heights of my carbon footprint by giving my money to worthwhile projects - 85% of it that is, the remaining 15 is necessary for administration costs. The project is run inconjunction with my climate, an organisation

‘rated amongst four carbon offset providers worldwide that are recommended without any reservations’.

Entering the details of my flight (London to Havana, return) and travelling class (Economy), I was informed I will be travelling a distance of 14,978 km and individually responsible for CO2 Emissions of 1.722 t. The total financial cost of off setting my flight would be 15.89 GBP (E 20.71) and would go towards the support of the following projects:

When you offset your CO2 emissions with Virgin Atlantic and myclimate, you will be supporting two renewable energy projects: In the Indian state of Karnataka, your money will support a power plant which uses agricultural waste to produce heat and energy for the local community. In addition, the project creates 650 jobs in the region and leads to an improvement of the groundwater quality as it ends uncontrolled burning of agricultural waste.
On the Indonesian island of Sumatra, your money will support the renovation of a hydro power station which will provide clean electricity for the local community. The construction and operation of the facility also creates new employment opportunities, while the environment benefits from the substitution of diesel-based energy.

Additionally I can pay 31. 78 GBP (E40.15), if I wish to offset factors which are ’still under much discussion’ by scientists such as the nitrous oxide and water vapour emitted during my flight.

Why is it that I take the climate change issue seriously yet can’t help but feel a little bit sceptical of these ‘options’ - not alone are my being guilt tripped for jamming myself into a 31″ seat for 9 hours to go see some of the world, now I’m being offered the easy option out of throwing money at the situation. Simon and I regularly discuss the deluge of conflicting information out there on these topics, and have sent each other links to articles, almost on a daily basis conflicting the points, causes, solutions raised in the preeceding articles assertions. There seems to be every sort of hypothesis from which you can start these discussions, yet there is no escaping the fact we dont even know which is the chicken or egg, whether we have causes and effects we can convincingly tie together. I am firmly of the view that the Earths eco - system is a complexly self regulating system, and that we cannot ignore that humans have had an imbalancing effect on its workings - its poorly formed opinion and not facts that have been proposing no human involvement in my view. I dont know know that corporate brands exploiting and subsequently undermining genuine concerns that need to be raised amongst the public is the correct route. A concerned population will be left paddling a one sided canoe, confused as to the benefits they are producing, when we see governments squabbling over percentage reductions in emissions and engaging in unproductive talking shops in exotic locations producing fluffy policy directions.