Cloudydays16Jan 21, 2023
Julian Oliver

A nine-month investigation undertaken by the Guardian, Die Zeit and SourceMaterial found that 90% of rainforest offsets from the world's biggest provider are worthless "phantom credits". Bought by the likes of Disney, Shell, easyJet and Gucci, it seems they may even do more harm to our environment than good.

Videos taken by residents in Peru showed forced evictions, and their homes cut down with chainsaws for an offset project.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/18/revealed-forest-carbon-offsets-biggest-provider-worthless-verra-aoe

Revealed: more than 90% of rainforest carbon offsets by biggest certifier are worthless, analysis shows

Investigation into Verra carbon standard finds most are ‘phantom credits’ and may worsen global heating

The Guardian
Jan 18, 2023 at 10:39pmWeb
Show threadJulian OliverJan 18, 2023
Swear the carbon offset market has the same dark whiffs of 'crypto'
Show threadDave Lane  🇳🇿Jan 18, 2023
@JulianOliver I'm wondering if you've read Kim Stanley Robinson's "The Ministry for the future"? I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on some of the ideas he puts forward there (apropos to your musing)
Show threadJulian OliverJan 18, 2023
@lightweight I haven't - on my list. Looking forward! (I edited this reply, as it was too bleak prior)
Show threadDave Lane  🇳🇿Jan 18, 2023
@JulianOliver didn't see the prior version (was preparing lunch) but heh, yeah, there's a bit of bleak going around these days.
Show threadMitchell WhitelawJan 19, 2023
@JulianOliver ANU law folks have done a comprehensive demolition of the Australian offsets market: https://law.anu.edu.au/news-and-events/news/australia’s-carbon-market-fraud-environment
Australia’s carbon market a 'fraud on the environment'

Australia’s Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF) has serious governance flaws and is potentially wasting billions of dollars in taxpayers' money, ANU environmental law scholars warn.

ANU College of Law
Show threadWillardJan 19, 2023
@JulianOliver Does not surprise me. The face of Capitalism, is the face of a monster.
Show threadJarjan (He/Him)Jan 19, 2023
@JulianOliver Not so surprising, that's what you get if you let "the market" solve the issue... It's the same with healthcare, public transport, energy, all public goods and services that have been left to "the market" become corrupted and enshittyfief for profit (I word I'm shamelessly stealing from Cory Doctorow).
Show threadPatrick McLaughlinJan 19, 2023

@jarjan @JulianOliver

That typo is disturbingly apt.

Show thread2xfoJan 19, 2023

@JulianOliver
If I was an unscrupulous land owner, or a really motivated ecological optimist, I might consider a project that would destroy all of my trees before telling the Carbon Authorities about it. They could say "hay, if you didn't do that you would have credits companies would like to pay you for," so then I wouldn't do the project and just take the free money.

Then I would buy more land and repeat the process, effectively multiplying my payout without affecting the impact I had.

Show threadGreennomadJan 19, 2023
@JulianOliver - for those who think offsets are a great/ sustainable idea: this parody may help https://youtu.be/I6zpnVW134k
Cheat Neutral

YouTube
Show threadራስ ባሪያው Rass BariawJan 19, 2023
@JulianOliver 🗝️🏆🚀
Show threadKyleJan 20, 2023

@JulianOliver

@klillington

Humble proposal to refer to these as "En-FT's"