Talk:Carbon credit

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Seems to have been written by someone that is making a lot of money from the industry. This article doesn't need editing, it needs deleting and for people to write a new one.-- unsigned

Yours is typical of the immediate cries of outrage heard when anyone disagrees with you. "They're taking money!" In your universe there is no sincere opposition. This is really bad thinking on your part. Also, learn to sign your posts.Alcuin of York (talk) 05:44, 4 March 2008 (UTC)


Contents

[edit] What Is A Carbon Credit?

The article leaves that one question unanswered. What does it consist of, how many tonnes of CO2 per credit? —Preceding unsigned comment added by MrSativa (talk • contribs) 03:14, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Makes no sense

From the article it seems that I can burn tires to heat my home as long as I pay some company to plant trees...? 12.28.128.227 18:10, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

And how the heck does one measure his/her carbon output? Who enforces carbon usage within licensed terms? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 203.112.84.138 (talk) 05:32, 9 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Expanding the article

hi ppl, the article on carbon credits is not very clear or explainative.I wud b really grateful to anyone who can please explain it to.what exactly are carbon credits,their origin,usage and relevance today. thanks a lot!! sal

Agreed. If I knew any of this stuff I would add it:
  • History of the carbon credits system
  • Brief explanation of how buying carbon credits actually reduces emissions
  • Countries/entities involved
The Kyoto Protocol has a good background position on the current status of many countries in relation to addressing greenhouse related issues. --Evolve2k 12:11, 21 February 2007 (UTC)
I hope someone knowledgable can help out... --P3d0 18:35, 27 January 2007 (UTC)
How about what companies would be selling carbon credits. How about the profits that these companies make. I like the similarities drawn between indulgences and carbon credits. We must atone for our enviormental sins. Gavinthesavage 17:59, 16 April 2007 (UTC)
I think a comparison of credits to indulgences isn't really appropriate for this Wikipedia article. The price of a single carbon credit would be an interesting addition. 152.3.85.176 13:39, 29 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] How buying carbon credits actually reduces emissions

Carbon credits creates a market for reducing greenhouse emissions (carbon) by giving a monetary value to the cost of polluting the air. This means that carbon becomes a cost of business and is seen like other inputs such water rates (water is a free natural resource, but governments have a system of charging for it as it is seen as valuable).

Basically it works something like this, a factory produces 100,000 tonnes of greenhouse emissions in a year. Following international pressure, a government enacts laws that restrict or provide a quota on the maximum emissions a business can have. So the factory is given a quota of say 80,000 tonnes. The factory either reduces its emissions to 80,000 tonnes or otherwise is required to purchase 'carbon credits' to offset the extra tonnes it is polluting over and above its quota. It means factories which want to pollute, in the short term, pay a real 'financial cost' for making greenhouse emissions.

The business would buy the 'carbon credits' on an open market from organizations which have been approved as being able to sell legitimate carbon credits, one seller might be a company which will plant X no of trees for every 'carbon credit' you buy off them. So for this factory it might pollute a tonne, but is essentially now paying another group to go out and plant trees which will say draw a tonne of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Over time it is envisaged, that as emission levels are predicted to keep rising, that the number of companies wanting/needing to buy more credits will increase hence pushing the market price up, and hence encouraging more groups to undertake environmentally friendly activities which create for them carbon credits to sell. Another model is that companies which use below their quota can sell their excess as 'carbon credits' also, the possibilities are endless hence making it a open market.

Basically once the system was in place and it is suggested that initially carbon credits should be really cheap so that business find it easy to transition in, then over time the quota of emissions a government allows (based on say international agreements) will gradually be reduced, which increases demand and keeps pushing up the value of the credits. The hopeful end game is that somewhere along the way the company will turn around and go, hey if I just reduce my emissions I don't need to buy so many credits, hence achieving what was desired all along.

The devil is in the detail as to who can sell carbon credits and for doing what? As well as how do you buy them, what if you don't buy as many as you should, where can you trade them etc. These details are yet to be resolved on a global level, currently its a few countries taking a lead as things get started.

Yes Its long, but the simplest way I could explain it! Hope that helps. --Evolve2k 11:47, 19 February 2007 (UTC)

Thanks! Would you be willing to integrate that into the article? --Alynna 00:39, 20 February 2007 (UTC)
Thanks for the encouragement, I am no expert in this area, but I will do my best to add the above to the main article, and let the more knowledgeable in this area, slice & dice what Ive written in the classic wiki way. So for those that come to this 'discussion' questioning all that I have added to the main article, please take this as recognition that I am no environmental atmospheric scientist or the like ;) --Evolve2k 09:37, 20 February 2007 (UTC)
Ive now added the additional section as well as summarized some details into the article introduction, although hopefully adding to overall clarity regarding what credits mean, I haven't made the page shorter, so yes I have left it as still a candidate for tidy up. Also my example includes 100,000 tonnes for a factory, in reality I have no idea what is a reasonable example tonnage, so please replace if you have insight in this area. --Evolve2k 10:05, 20 February 2007 (UTC)
Thanks. That's the beauty of the wiki - the people who add content don't have to be the same people who wiki-format it. --Alynna 15:54, 20 February 2007 (UTC)
I think this section only goes half the way with regards to how credits reduce emissions. For example what happens if a tree dies? How is the actual reduced emissions measured? Does anyone have any info regarding this? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 219.123.91.104 (talk) 00:27, 13 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Terminology

Pollute: to contaminate (an environment) especially with man-made waste.

Perhaps the term "pollute" should not be used in this article. Although speechmakers like to use this term, it does not apply to carbon dioxide in the sense of stoichiometric combustion of hydrocarbons. The byproduct carbon dioxide is part of the carbon cycle and is chemically indistinguishable from the carbon dioxide we exhale. RastaKins 02:28, 2 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] General improvements

This article should be merged with the article Carbon emissions trading, which should be reconciled with the Emissions Trading section in the Kyoto Protocol article.

If this article is retained, its title should be made plural ("Carbon credits")

There is a lot of tangential information in this article that should either be cut or replaced with links (e.g., sources of emissions, decription of Kyoto) as well as a lot of redundant material (e.g., decription of Kyoto). —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 72.93.192.32 (talk) 00:46, 4 March 2007 (UTC).

[edit] External links

The external links need serious pruning. Remove the commercial links. Remove the non-notable blogs. And for $deity's sake remove the conspiracy theory links about how global warming is a hoax. That ~might~ be relevant at global warming. It is not relevant here. I'll do it if someone doesn't get to it first. --Alynna 15:24, 26 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Need a criticisms section

Many see carbon credits as fraud. There exists a lot of legitimate criticism over carbon credits and for this article to have any real neutrality, criticisms should be cited.

Added NPOV dispute tag to top of article Mbarbier 02:59, 29 July 2007 (UTC)
Agreed, I came here to see if there are any criticisms and there was no such section. Can someone more knowledgeable start such a thing? -75.88.241.230 05:01, 8 August 2007 (UTC)

I've done some re-organising & rework of the article to (hopefully) help it flow a bit & and added a criticism section. As there are already criticisms in the articles for the Clean Development Mechanism‎ and Carbon offset I just highlighted then and pointed the reader there. But I hope I picked up the major issues within the subsection as regards the main issues with credits and their issuance. If this reads sensibly (& is without typos!) then can someone remove the NPOV flag? Thanks Ephebi 22:47, 10 October 2007 (UTC)

  • after positive feedback from Mbarbier I'll remove the disputed POV tag. Ephebi 08:34, 17 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] VOLUNTARY REPORTING REGISTRIES IN THE UNITED STATES

Section moved to own article: United States federal register of greenhouse gas emissions, since doesn't discuss carbon credits.

What nonsense. Isn't it just like liberals to decry the use of resources and then pretend that throwing money around makes their own usage disappear. No clothes on that emperor, folks. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 138.163.0.42 (talk) 18:20, 18 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] How buying carbon credits can reduce emissions

this makes no sense. it states that if you needed credits covering 20,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions, because you have exhausted your carbon allowance for the year, you would just buy them from a company that would then plant trees which will draw back 20,000 tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year. if you then overshoot your carbon quota the next year you will have to buy another 20,000 tons worth of credits. which doesn't seem right, since the trees you purchased the previous year are already drawing back that 20,000 tons of CO2. i guess the trees they plant for you only draw back CO2 for one year, then drop dead. —Preceding HarMegiddo comment added by 172.169.27.38 (talk) 08:00, 9 January 2008 (UTC)

  • I think you are trying to read in some meanings that aren't there. However, I've tweaked the wording & the example to make it more real world. (There are a lot more approved power projects than forestry ones) Ephebi (talk) 08:56, 9 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] carbon credits - Revenue

Hi ppl,

I do not understand how one can make a profit out of it in terms of selling the carbon credits from Developing countries to the developed one.

Regards, Jags —Preceding unsigned comment added by 59.95.188.136 (talk) 07:51, 14 February 2008 (UTC)