Is it possible to Neutralize the Carbons ?

From fragrance to chocolates, we are now being offered carbon-offset products. But is there a catch?

Our per capita carbon footprint stands at 9.7 tonnes each every year - think of it as six hot-air balloons full of CO2. Illustration: Rob Biddulph

It is notoriously difficult to move a muscle without creating a carbon penalty, and mitigating this can be a full-time obsession (as evidenced by No Impact Man, noimpactproject.org). As if our per capita carbon footprint wasn't big enough at 9.7 tonnes each every year (think of it as six hot-air balloons full of CO₂) this winter's cold weather could cause it to swell. In the absence of any meaningful low-carbon power generation system, we retreat to burning huge quantities of coal to fulfil increased power demand. Coal use explains why Australians weigh in with a thunderous annual output of 20.5 tonnes of CO₂ per person.

In order to neutralise these balloons full of atmospheric gas, you must perfectly balance the emissions created with the emissions removed or absorbed on your behalf. This is easier said than done.

Increasingly we're encouraged to devolve this responsibility to manufacturers. First they assess the climatic impact of a sock or bag of crisps, then they reduce it as far as possible and offset the remaining emissions. But how do they do this, and is it effective? Frustratingly, carbon neutrality (CN) is currently a very fluid description. And while a British standard, PAS 2060, is in development (manufacturers will be able to pay to get this standard provided they meet designated criteria), at the moment there is no enshrined definition.

I can, however, tell you what it smells like, courtesy of EOS, the world's first carbon-neutral fragrance line. These scents have bioester top notes (from hybridised bacteria) instead of the petrochemicals typically found in perfumes. Bioesters utilise cellulosic biomass – in this case organic spent brewery grain. The theory being that as the wheat grew it absorbed carbon dioxide from the atmosphere equal to the amount released during processing and manufacturing.

Similarly, you can purchase everything from carbon- neutral hemp socks, chocolate and soap to cakes. By 2015, you'll be able to take advantage of a CO₂ neutral Royal Mail service, and by the end of this year, open a CO₂ neutral bank account with Yorkshire Bank. Eighty Acres offers five types of CO₂ neutral wine. Buy this and you help increase the composting facilities for 350,000 Australians of Perth's Southern Metropolitan suburb (which might help with those huge emissions).

You might feel this is a circuitous way of cutting your emissions. I'd agree. The best way to tackle your footprint is to make an emissions reduction right here, right now. There are so many "social nutrition" labels jostling for attention on products these days that I have to ask myself, would I pick carbon neutral over fair trade? Some, such as Dolfin chocolate (Belgium's first CO₂ neutralised chocolatier), have both, which makes it easy. Otherwise, the answer is probably no. And as for the carbon-neutral ashtray someone kindly sent me (it saves energy in manufacture and offsets by planting trees), that takes the carbon neutral biscuit.★

Source: www.guardian.co.uk