How to Get Rich By Scamming the Climate

onJan 21, 2008 @ 07:01 PST

A cartoon in The New York Times brilliantly captured the mentality behind the latest green trend. It showed a man kneeling at the confessional praying, “Forgive me, but I have SUV‘d.”

The minister takes the proffered bag of money and replies:

Go thy way, thy sins are offset. You too can be forgiven of your carbon emitting sins and achieve the exalted status of being ‘carbon neutral’ without trading in your SUV or cancelling that overseas vacation.”

Here’s a collection of articles we’ve written on the issue carbon offsets:

Enron-Type Accounting Used to Calculate “Carbon Offsets”

Romm on trees and carbon offsets

The Latest in Offsets: Homelessness

Carbon Trading: “Bad for the South, Bad for the North, Bad for the Climate”

Monbiot: Methane Findings Highlight the Scam of Carbon Trading

By Ross Gelbspan

A Database of Canada’s Fossil Fuel Lobbyists

ByTaylor Noakes

onJul 14, 2026 @ 13:05 PDT

Some lobby organizations that work for environmental organizations also work for the fossil fuel industry.

Can Ireland Deliver as ‘Honest Broker’? Here’s What’s at Stake for Climate and Nature in EU Council Presidency

ByRachel Sherrington

onJul 14, 2026 @ 08:44 PDT

The Republic’s historic failure to curb agricultural pollution drives concern among campaigners.

Leonard Leo's Anti-Climate Network Makes a European Debut

ByGeoff Dembicki

onJul 14, 2026 @ 08:01 PDT

Leo-linked operatives were among a who's who of the international right that gathered for the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC) conference in June.