Clean and Green: Carbon offsets and planting trees?

Balance: Plant a tree, drive a gas-guzzler?

So, you know the car you drive is a gas-guzzler, but you absolutely love it. Still, you feel a bit guilty about the environmental damage your vehicle is causing. So, you plant a couple of trees to offset your carbon emissions.

Cool or not?

That's the question that the AP's Michael Hill asked for USAToday.

Obviously, all positive actions are good. So, driving a SUV and planting trees is better than just driving a gas-guzzling SUV. Nonetheless, it seems most 'carbon offsets' are used by people whom could afford to take greater action. Rather than take greater action, however, those with the means to do more meaningful work, are instead taking the easiest and least meaningful action far too often.

Yet, they so easily lecture the rest of us.

When the Al Gores of the world offset their way out of real action - even though they are rich - its hard not to be cynical.