We've all seen the headlines right. "Carbon offsetting", "Net Zero", "Carbon Neutral" ; well here's another one
For really that's what is happening here. Let us even look at the way that Carbon Neutral, or Carbon Offsetting is arrived at by these companies. In essence they only look at the carbon value of burning the oil or gas. The upstream emissions are not counted at all. Upstream emissions are where the new 'carbon trading' is at.
We see this in the current debate in Dail Eireann with regards to Shannon LNG and Frack Gas imports. The Government seem of the opinion that these don't matter to Ireland, because they don't count in Ireland's inventory. Out of sight means out of mind. But there's a reason its a Global climate emergency we are facing. It is exactly the same thinking which saw the west outsource their carbon emissions to China, India and other places of low wage manufacture. We fail to see how our policies here actually contribute to global warming when we no longer become responsible for our carbon emissions by virtue of them happening in another country.
Lets look at Dalradian's proposals - I'm sure Tamboran will try something similar- They currently are droning on about 'clean natural gas' so you get the idea. Will Dalradian offset all the manufacturing emissions on the trucks they use. What about on the tankers that bring the fuel to Tyrone ? How about the emissions of its workers, and security guards ? What about the PSNI's emissions to accompany explosives, and will that include the emissions on the squad cars ? How about the emissions for all the lawyers they need to defend their plans in court - were they offset - and NIEAs? What about if someone prints their massive new document explaining all of this - are those trees and emissions counted as belonging to Dalradian's inventory, or do they belong to the Council or whoever printed it off ?
See once you start thinking about these projects you start seeing through the green wash. The frackers and Miners will just pick an arbitrary number and say that's it. Here 42. Already picked for you. It is after all the Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything.
