It’s no secret that the world’s business and policymaking establishment adopted carbon penalties and offsets as a climate-change mitigation approach because it’s a market-driven solution that doesn’t threaten to bring economic productivity to a standstill. In the U.S. — even amid rancorous partisan debate about climate change — a wide majority supports the country’s effort to adopt carbon-neutral policies.
As a result, carbon data today sits at the center of current and future policymaking for nations, corporations and NGOs worldwide. Even for many individuals, reducing one’s carbon footprint — through a local utility, a favorite airline, a neighborhood arborist — has become a priority. But carbon has a problem. As a metric for success and progress — certainly in the short- to medium-term — it’s seriously flawed. Those flaws have important implications for those who aim to take direct action, and especially for those who hope to redirect the forces of capitalism in the service of a secure climate future. Don’t get me wrong. Carbon measurement and abatement are critical tools in the world’s arsenal in the fight against climate change. But carbon data is also vulnerable to manipulation and often flat-out inaccurate. As such it leaves open the possibility that the climate-aware decisions we make today — including where we choose to invest — may miss their mark. Here are six critic …
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As a result, carbon data today sits at the center of current and future policymaking for nations, corporations and NGOs worldwide. Even for many individuals, reducing one’s carbon footprint — through a local utility, a favorite airline, a neighborhood arborist — has become a priority. But carbon has a problem. As a metric for success and progress — certainly in the short- to medium-term — it’s seriously flawed. Those flaws have important implications for those who aim to take direct action, and especially for those who hope to redirect the forces of capitalism in the service of a secure climate future. Don’t get me wrong. Carbon measurement and abatement are critical tools in the world’s arsenal in the fight against climate change. But carbon data is also vulnerable to manipulation and often flat-out inaccurate. As such it leaves open the possibility that the climate-aware decisions we make today — including where we choose to invest — may miss their mark. Here are six critic …nnDiscussion:nn” ai_name=”RocketNews AI: ” start_sentence=”Can I tell you more about this article?” text_input_placeholder=”Type ‘Yes'”]