TerraPass Negative
TerraPass is a company that accepts donations and funnels the money to companies researching clean sources of energy and reduced CO2 emissions.
My negative comment on Monday about TerraPass deserves explanation. These are my objections to the TerraPass model:
1) TerraPass takes your money, and keeps some of it for themselves. They are for profit. I don't believe capitalism can solve the environmental problems that corporate greed created.
2) I believe their work is futile: As long as there is still profit to be made from oil, we will not be getting an alternative form of energy.
3) There is no way to quantify the CO2 reduction from a donation to TerraPass.
4) It may sooth the conscience of TerraPass contributors to think they're doing something. That may be the only benefit of TerraPass.
1 comment:
Hey there, there is still a little confusion.
Buying a TerraPass is *not* a donation. You are buying a 3rd party verified reduction in CO2, usually from a windfarm or dairy farmer. You buy it from a company that is verified and blessed by a third party. The whole idea of TerraPass is to give you the tools to subsidize projects that balance out what you can't do in your own life.
The other question you raise is whether this makes a difference? We have 10's of thousands of customers, about half of which have written their elected representatives to demand action on climate change. They share tips and thoughts on our blogs and engage in all kinds of discussions around energy savings. So, yes, its not the perfect solution, but it is a kind of all hands on deck moment, and our hands are on the deck.
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