Does it make sense to pay people not to pollute the planet?
An increasing number of startups are exploring ideas like those outlined by Kim Stanley Robinson in his highly recommended “The Ministry for the Future”, by transforming carbon offsetting into a money-making tool through mechanisms such as cryptocurrencies.
In addition to Klima and Single.Earth, from the United States and Estonia respectively, which I was able to study when I sat on the jury of the UNESCO Netexplo Innovation Awards, other companies have a range of plans in different stages of development to help create a carbon economy and provide economic stimuli to reduce emissions or remove CO2 from the atmosphere.
In this video from last Wednesday you can see me commenting on Single.Earth (in English with French dubbing).
The carbon offset mechanisms found around the world provide market mechanisms for reducing carbon dioxide emissions, and there are many arguments in favor of their use: basically, they are a negative externality and transparent way to minimize the cost to society of reducing emissions, are easily enforceable…
