New Weapon Against Warming: "Flatulence Cards" Offset Dog, Human Emissions

National Geographic News ^ | March 6, 2007 | Sean Markey

[llevrok]

While global warming is nothing to laugh at, an Australian company is providing some comic relief, selling carbon credits for flatulent pets and people.

So-called carbon emissions, such as carbon dioxide and methane, are greenhouse gases that are thought to be key factors in climate change. These emissions can be offset by purchasing carbon credits, which may be used to fund environmental programs.

For 35 Australian dollars (about 27 U.S. dollars), customers of Sydney-based Easy Being Green can offset a year's worth of carbon emissions linked to their dogs, from trips to the vet to, yes, breaking wind.

Making your cat carbon neutral for a year costs U.S.$6, while U.S.$16 offsets two years of flatulence from that special someone.

The company says it offsets the climate-warming effects of emissions from cars, planes, humans, and pets by installing energy-saving fluorescent light bulbs and water-saving shower heads in houses in New South Wales, Australia (see map of Australia.)

The energy savings reduce the need for electricity, which in Australia is largely generated by carbon-emitting, coal-fired power plants, the company says.

Last year the three-year-old company sold or gave away three million compact fluorescent light bulbs, making it the largest importer of such bulbs in Australia.

In exchange, customers signed over the projected carbon savings to Easy Being Green, which then sold them as carbon emission rights on the New South Wales carbon-trading market.

State law requires electric utilities and other regulated industries to offset their carbon emissions.

Easy Being Green says its programs have saved over 680,000 tons of atmospheric carbon per year. According to its Web site, that is equivalent to taking 150,000 cars off the road.

[llevrok]

I'll buy three

[NonValueAdded]

LOL What every father needs for Christmas. The wife gets on him for cutting loose in the living room, "but honey, it's ok, the kids gave me a phart pass."

[TLI]

For 35 Australian dollars (about 27 U.S. dollars), customers of Sydney-based Easy Being Green can offset a year's worth of carbon emissions linked to their dogs, from trips to the vet to, yes, breaking wind.

fart cards? Every lib in the country will have one...

[NorCalRepub]

....finally a boost for the Mexican economy....

[TLI]

fart cards? Every lib in the country will have one...

[Doctor Raoul]

If you want to "Super Size" you can order the Al Gore Special.

[Doctor Raoul]

So-called carbon emissions, such as carbon dioxide and methane, are greenhouse gases that are thought to be key factors in climate change. These emissions can be offset by purchasing carbon credits, which may be used to fund environmental programs.

Why should such stupidity be tax deductable?

[Fiddlstix]

No thanks. I'm gonna spend that $35.00 on beans and tortillas.....

[uglybiker]

click here at your own peril!

Hey! you don't happen to have one of those
flatulent cards handy, do you?

Cuz I could really use one....like, RIGHT NOW!

[SaltyJoe]

Oh that's just great! Are we going to have to light our farts to save the planet?

[conservative in nyc]

Why should such stupidity be tax deductable?

Why do you think it is?

[Doctor Raoul]

State law requires electric utilities and other regulated industries to offset their carbon emissions.

That expense comes off of income. You pay no tax on what otherwise would have been profit and therefore taxble.

Nicht wehr?

[Doctor Raoul]

Combine this story with the one about Green Sex and it's not a pretty picture.

[conservative in nyc]

That expense comes off of income. You pay no tax on what otherwise would have been profit and therefore taxble.

For a business, maybe so - it has to be an ordinary and necessary business expense, though. For you and me personally being hoodwinked into buying this crap offset, not so much.

This may be one of the reasons Algore had his company purchase his home's carbon indulgences, instead of indulging for himself. First, Algore's extremely cheap when it comes to paying for things that help others (remember - he gave less than $400 to charity in 1998). Second, perhaps GIM LLP could have written it off. Since GIM is a partnership, expenses could have flown through to him as a partner. But query whether Algore should also have imputed income if his company buys indulgences for his home use.

All of this is pure speculation, though.

[SunkenCiv]

While global warming is nothing to laugh at

au contraire.

[JohnCliftn]

The Carbon Offsets are an ideal way for the United Nations to tax arbitrarily selected people.

So far The UN has masterfully conducted its campaign to establish its power to tax anyone and everyone.

If the UN succeeds, it will be a tax fro breathing.