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Carbon Offsetting by Companies, is it a scam?


mattius

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Following on from Johns thread, i thought it better to discuss the whole thing in a different area, given that John was just after advice.

 

I have to say it all does seem a rather large scam to me (companies just claiming to offset peoples carbon) , and if i'm being ignorant can someone please explain it to me?

With most of the worlds richest companies, richest people and even everyday people offsetting their carbon (most of us do it these days inadvertently buying a fossil fuel as those companies offset), where is all this money? judging by the amount of companies and people there should be billions of pounds investment, yet very little being visible.

 

 

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I suppose offset cash that is put into wind power projects might be acceptable. Unless the extra wind power merely supplies an ever-increasing demand without any fossil power reduction.

CCS schemes dont appear to be publicised these days...maybe they did not work.

 

 

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I came across this article almost by accident last year, and wondered why it hadn't got more coverage.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-50712500

After the bit about burning wood pellets, it says Drax is doing a pilot project that currently captures one ton of carbon every day. For reference, the internet tells me the average deciduous tree in Britain takes 100 years to store that much carbon (presume that must include attrition of all the saplings that don't turn into trees).

Further down the article it says Drax receives £2m a day from the humble taxpayer. I would venture to suggest this would be a good place to spend all those offsetting pennies.

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CCS is failing to work worldwide, and Drax' partnership is with an unknown company with no track record:

https://www.desmog.co.uk/2019/07/17/comment-policymakers-shouldn-t-trust-drax-s-bizarre-tree-burning-climate-solution

 capturing 1 ton of CO2 to put the fizz in drinks is hardly *storage*

CCS may eventually work with gas turbines where the exhaust is much cleaner than solid fuels, and TE much better too.

Drax press releases  read to me like desperation to stave off closure, with jam tomorrow, if it were to work by some miracle.

Peter

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Yeah..... but then they were spoiling the effect by dragging coal out ....... :ermm:

I like trees.  Grow lots of trees and use them to make stuff . Hardly revolutionary!

In answers to Matts original question, I am deeply suspicious of the whole offsetting game.  I feel they is a large element of scam and greenwash in many of them.

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Im dubious about drax...

They seem to get a lot of government kick backs,  and very questionable planning decisions.

As for their biomass! lol thats the biggest joke! 1.5million tons of Biomass shipped across from the US in large tankers! Hardly very eco!

There was a lot of criticism of Hinkley Point C for the minimum price the Government agreed to pay per MWhr (~£90 i think) well Draw have an agreement for £100 for biomas! Wind farms only get £40/MWhr for crying out loud! 

 

It all seems very iffy...

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