Thanks to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, 13,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide will join the Earth's atmosphere. More than 10,600 people plan to attend the two-week summit in Poznań, Poland, where delegates will discuss issues such as the greenhouse effect and weather pattern changes. Energy used to get the attendees to the talks, or used to heat and light the venue, will contribute to the very problems they seek to solve.
This doesn't mean participants aren't trying to be green — many traveled long distances by train or bus to keep emissions down. Delegates who skipped air travel will reduce their greenhouse emissions by six times. In addition, Poland plans to buy carbon offsets for the conference, meaning the government will pay to reduce pollution elsewhere.
Do you think purchasing carbon offsets helps quiet accusations of hypocrisy, or would delegates find an alternative to a pollution heavy conference if they really practiced what they preach?
on Yahoo! |
It's kind of petty to act like NOT having the convention, or doing it by teleconference, would make a serious dent in the problem. Carbon offsets are an effort to do something while the conference works on better solutions.
Should dieters not eat anything until they've figured out exactly what will help them lose weight?