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https://www.sciencealert.com/grim-study-shows-10-years-of-carbon-offsets-in-california-had-no-climate-benefit>
"Many of the companies promising 'net zero' emissions to protect the climate
are relying on vast swaths of forests and what are known as carbon offsets to
meet that goal.
On paper, carbon offsets appear to balance out a company's carbon emissions:
The company pays to protect trees, which absorb carbon dioxide from the air.
The company can then claim the absorbed carbon dioxide as an offset that
reduces its net impact on the climate.
However, our new satellite analysis reveals what researchers have suspected for
years: Forest offsets might not actually be doing much for the climate.
When we looked at satellite tracking of carbon levels and logging activity in
California forests, we found that carbon isn't increasing in the state's 37
offset project sites any more than in other areas, and timber companies aren't
logging less than they did before.
The findings send a pretty grim message about efforts to control climate
change, and they add to a growing list of concerns about forest offsets.
Studies have already shown that projects are often overcredited at the
beginning and might not last as long as expected. In this case we're finding a
bigger issue: a lack of real climate benefit over the 10 years of the program
so far.
But we also see ways to fix the problem."
Via Rixty Dixet.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
