Guilt-Free Pollution. Or Is It?

This article is sceptical about carbon offsets:

The operations reflect a new consciousness about climate change, but scientists and environmental watchdogs say that the carbon trading actually may be producing little of real value to the environment. “These companies may be operating with the best will in the world, but they are doing so in settings where it’s not really clear you can monitor and enforce their projects over time,” said Steve Rayner, a senior professor at Oxford and a member of a group working on reducing greenhouse gases for the International Panel on Climate Change. “What these companies are allowing people to do is carry on with their current behavior with a clear conscience.”

I, too, am sceptical. But these articles need to offer some real alternatives to buying offsets, not just scepticism. What can a concerned commuter do to offset his use of fossil fuels that is truly effective? Buy a new Prius, perhaps? Of course, there are sceptical articles about those, too.

Link: Guilt-Free Pollution. Or Is It? - New York Times.