Back in High School, in Western Civilization class (back before Western Civ was a BAD thing), when learning about the conditions that led to the Protestant Reformation (yes kids, Martin Luther was a person, not just an informal name for Martin Luther King).

One of the things that Luther was upset about was the selling of Indulgences. 

Now, from a striclty Capitalist viewpoint, I can see Indulgences as a stroke of genius.  One of the basic things that makes Capitalism work, is a flow of goods.  People with an abundance of one thing sell or trade it to people who don’t have enough of that thing, but have too much of something else.  IN this case, it was SIN.

Sinners could purchase and indulgence from the church, who theoretically had no sin, and a surplus of good acts available to sell.  Sinners got absolution, and the church gained money, property, goods, whatever.

So you could be a truly vile person, and still be assured of getting to heaven, if you had the cash or other goods to trade to the church for absolution.

Today, the Church of the Global Warming has reinstituted the Indulgence.  They call it Carbon Offsets.

With Carbon Offsets, I could, if I were, let’s say, a forcibly retired Vice President, jet around the country in a private jet, ride in limos and SUVs, and have a huge house complex that uses 20x the average amount of utilities for a home in America, and still declare myself Carbon Neutral.

And, like the old Church, the Ponitff of the Church of Global Warming, AlGore I, is getting a piece of the pie, becuase he buys his Carbon Offsets from a company Generation Invesment Management, of which Gore is Chairman.  As Bill Hobbs notes:

Gore is chairman of the firm and, presumably, draws an income or will make money as its investments prosper. In other words, he “buys” his “carbon offsets” from himself, through a transaction designed to boost his own investments and return a profit to himself. To be blunt, Gore doesn’t buy “carbon offsets” through Generation Investment Management - he buys stocks.

Of course, this is all the worse, because, like Indulgences, there is a growing tide of realization that Carbon Offsets are little more than wishful thinking and promises.  For some “lite” reading, check out this report at Carbon Trade Watch:

Carbon Offsets are nothing more, at their heart, than a transfer of wealth from the rich and guilty, to hucksters and charlatans.  The unfortunate thing is that, unlike Indulgences, which fleeced sinners who had niether the time or inclination to truly make amends for their lifestyles, Carbon Offsets will fleece more than a bunch of Hollywood mental lightweights.  It will also fleece numerous well meaning people, who truly think they are helping the planet.

There is a basic rule of capitalism that you should never pay someone for something intanglible, with no way to prove its value.  You may as well stuff you mattress with the money.

Instead of buying carbon offsets, change your lightbulbs to CFLs (and LED bulbs coming soon).  Wash most laundry in cold water.  Turn off TVs and set computers ot Sleep or Hinernate when not in use. 

And if you really want to put your money up front, invest in companies installing Wind Farms, or Nuclear Power, or other Clean technologies…  But don;t be fooled into buying Indulgences.

Where is the Global Warming Martin Luther when we need him?

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