birding-aus

The Biggest Twitch - and Carbon

To: Dave Torr <>
Subject: The Biggest Twitch - and Carbon
From: Carl Clifford <>
Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2008 11:44:10 +1100
Airlines are not public service organisations for the benefit of all, they are in the business of making the greatest amount of profit they can for their shareholders. I would regard a "Carbon offset" scheme run by an airline with a shovelful of salt. I think the temptation for corporations to use such schemes to assist with profits would be too great to resist. Many Carbon offset schemes around the world are already unravelling and the administration costs of many schemes have been found to be up to 80% of cash inputs. There seems to be little independent auditing of these schemes.

If you want to see the most benefit from the money you calculate as being sufficient to pay for a Carbon offset, put it away in an old sock or under your mattress, and use it to buy trees for a tree planting scheme and even better use your own labour to help plant the the trees. I am sure Carol Proberts would welcome your money and time for tree planting in the Capertee Valley. And you would also be helping the Regent Honeyeater recovery.

Carl Clifford


On 02/01/2008, at 10:37 AM, Dave Torr wrote:

In any case, many airlines now allow you to purchase "carbon offsets" to
counter the effect of your flight, so those who are concerned can make the effort. Whether this is totally effective is of course debatable - and when I tried to do it for a recent Jetstar flight the booking system told me how much the extra was but then insisted on billing me for only the basic flight
cost without the extra!

On 02/01/2008, Tony Russell <> wrote:

I must say I agree with Alistair and Michael and Jill on this. Anyone
whose life becomes dictated by how much carbon usage they incur must be either not very interested in the excitement and fun that birding travel
can provide, or so caught up in the carbon debate that they are unable
to see any other point of view.  I'm not suggesting that the carbon
issue is of no importance, but crikey, we need some balance and need to
get a life in the meantime.
Life is too short.

Tony.

-----Original Message-----
From: 
 On Behalf Of michael norris
Sent: Wednesday, January 02, 2008 9:17 AM
To: Alastair Smith; 'BIRDING-AUS'
Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] The Biggest Twitch - and Carbon





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