Economics, Carbon Offsets, and a Moral Dilemma

A problem with going green is that most people aren't very good at tracing out the ultimate consequences of their actions. Queue the economist.

It is a personal choice to reduce carbon emissions (and  I won't pass judgment on that).

It is also a personal choice to use carbon offsets to reduce emissions on net that you can't reduce on gross. Economists like the idea of carbon offsets, in principle.

But, what if the offsets are used to create incentives for the poor to not follow in your profligate ways?

Are you morally responsible for ensuring that the green tendencies of the rich don't keep the poor down on the farm?

In particular, a British politician purchased offsets for a trip from a company that uses them to supply foot treadle water pumps to the poor in India so that they don't pump water with diesel power. Of course, the foot pumps not only don't use diesel, but if they are to be used they are a gift that in fact requires a substantial donation of time on the part of the poor Indian - a sort of second-hand carbon indenture.

I think this is wrong, but I'm not sure who is culpable; I'm inclined to think that it the purveyors of this sort of offset, because they have gotten away with a business plan that would not fly if we changed its context.

So, let's change the context. Would this plan fly?

• Children should be cared for by their parents.
• Parents who are rich are often busy, and therefore hire daycare.
• Suppose they are conflicted enough to purchase a "daycare offset".
• Should we be OK with it if that "daycare offset" is used to make it less likely that a poor person will use daycare? For example, we might buy the poor playpens for use in their home. (The choice of a playpen is intentional; like a foot treadle, it isn't inherently useless, but it does require a contribution of time on the part of the recipient.)

My guess is no. The fact that the carbon offsetters do get away with the sort of business they do is that many consumers seem to put on moral blinders when the discussion turns to going green.

Via Best of the Web Today and Times Online.