Let Them Eat Tofu

I've written before of environmentalism being a quasi-religious cult for rich lefties and the latest evidence of that are the plenary environmental indulgences known as as carbon offsets. An outfit in England calling itself ClimateCare.org offers a quick and convenient way for the well-to-do to offset their size-16 carbon footprints by means of a variety of handy calculators to determine how much CO2 their activities generate. Calculated as well are the monetary costs necessary to obtain absolution. Click the checkout button, choose the payment method (most major credit cards accepted) and bingo, a donation is made to one of the many projects ClimateCare sponsors to sop up transgressions, a payment of the debt which the sinner owes to Gaia.

Of the many projects under the aegis of ClimateCare, one is truly a standout, revealing the true feelings environmentalists have for their fellow passengers on spaceship earth, particularly those who have to fly tourist. It's called the "Human Energy Project"and the mission is to . . . well, why not quote directly from the ClimateCare website:

Sometimes the best source of renewable energy is the human body itself. With some lateral thinking, and some simple materials, energy solutions can often be found which replace fossil fuels with muscle-power.

How it works

Every source of human energy will be different, and the number of applications are hugely varied. The example below is from our project in India promoting treadle pumps for irrigation, to replace [dirty] diesel power.

The treadle pump is a simple device which uses human power to pump water from wells, streams and lakes. One person - man, woman or even child - can operate the pump by manipulating his/her body weight on two treadles and by holding a bamboo or wooden frame for support. These pumps displace the diesel pumps that are more commonly used.

And there is the real genius of ClimateCare: not only does it offer well-off socialists in the west a salve for their consciences, due to extravagant living, by shaking them down for donations, the money is then used to dissuade (apparently through "lateral thinking," a pensive activity I confess I am not familiar with but assume is akin to re-education) the foolish notions of impoverished but uppity wogs they, too, can use use CO2-producing machinery to ease somewhat their grinding existences; notions that puts them at cross purposes with their betters by offsetting the offsets/indulgences they have so conscientiously purchased and must be, well, offset themselves. Friar Tetzel himself would doff his cowl in awe and admiration of such audacity.