Carbon Credits are a SCAM

Carbon credits get labeled a scam because they promise a clean slate for polluters without delivering real, immediate results—more of a feel-good shell game than a fix.

First, the harm happens now, but the “fix” is a maybe later. When Bill Gates pumps out 1,568 tons of CO2 flying his jets in 2022, that’s in the atmosphere today, trapping heat. The carbon credit he buys—say, funding Climeworks’ air capture—might suck up some CO2 years down the line, if the tech scales and works as hyped. Studies, like one from MIT in 2021, peg direct air capture costs at $250-$600 per ton, with efficiency still unproven at scale. So, the planet’s frying now, and you’re betting on a future IOU that might not cash out.

They’re riddled with double-counting and dodgy accounting. A 2021 investigation by The Guardian and Unearthed found up to 75% of credits in some schemes—like forest preservation—overstated their impact. Projects get funded that would’ve happened anyway (e.g., a forest not slated for cutting), so no extra CO2’s actually avoided. Mark Carney’s carbon market cheerleading conveniently glosses over this—his Brookfield empire touts green creds while banking on shaky math.

Offsets let emitters dodge real cuts. Prince Harry’s 60 tons from 2019 jet jaunts didn’t shrink because he bought credits; he just kept flying. A 2023 Carbon Market Watch report showed 90% of offset projects in the EU’s system failed to prove they reduced emissions beyond business-as-usual. It’s like paying someone else to diet while you scarf burgers—your waistline’s still growing.

The elite’s hypocrisy seals the deal. Justin Trudeau taxes Canadians for carbon while jetting to Tofino—11,000 tons from federal travel in 2021—and calls it “offset.” Meghan Markle and Harry preach sustainability, yet their jet-set life leans on the same scam. The credits don’t undo the burn; they just buy PR. A 2022 Berkeley study found voluntary offset markets cut global emissions by less than 1% of what’s claimed—peanuts while the planet chokes.

It’s a racket: pay-to-pollute with no guarantee the debt’s ever settled. The rich sleep easy, the air stays dirty, and the rest of us foot the bill. That’s the scam—guilt absolved, harm ignored, results unverified.