[Articles and opinion pieces published in this blog do not necessarily reflect the polices and opinions of the organizers of the International Conference on Degrowth in the Americas. They are posted here to stimulate discussion and debate on issues relevant to degrowth.]
from the Post Growth Institute, 26 February 2012
We have been having some animated conversations among us at PGI regarding the topic of carbon offsetting (aka ‘carbon neutrality’). On the one hand, we aim to be as transparent as possible about our successes and shortcomings when it comes to our own consumption patterns. Some individuals and organizations are using the calculation and offsetting of carbon usage as a way of doing that.
On the other hand, we see offsetting as deeply nested within the growth model. As such, not only do some of us believe the popularity of offsetting will not bring us closer to post growth realities – there seems to be plenty of evidence so far that it will in fact move us farther from them.
Before getting into the details, how about a few stories?
