the Tofu Offset
Overheard on the radio today, and in digi-print here... it's the Tofu Offset. A very 21st-century revitalization of 16th-century Roman Catholic indulgences.
The notion of carbon offsets and cap-and-trade ideas have always bothered me on a fuzzy and nebulous (yet fundamental) level, but it wasn't until the sarcasm and humor of the Tofu Offset came along that it was made clear. That what really bothered me was people believing they could de-guilt themselves financially.
I have to give credit to the people who invented these carbon trading companies - sounds like a pretty good way to make money off people's personal guilt... about their inability to actually make change in their life, about their desire to fit in with other people (regardless of the inanity), about their laziness in taking an easy way out. If you actually believe something is worthwhile, then how about actually DOing it?
Of course, this gets me in trouble all the time when I shoot my mouth off.... so there's that problem for me to work through.
There's an analogy in here somewhere about truthiness and that if something is said enough times and with enough conviction that somehow it changes the facts. But the end result is that you can't offset emissions in the physical world with cash in the abstract financial world anymore than you can offset your pudgy waistline with a Cheeseburger Offset.
5 comments:
What about bacon offset? I hear you're planning a bacon party, what's up with that?
Well you see... the tofu offsets the bacon. So that we fat and lazy Americans can compensate for our guilty feelings about the bacon by eating bland tofu.
Can you tell? I think tofu blows. Tempeh good. Tofu bad.
I was brainstorming ways to clear the brush out of the wood lot and Garth was like..what you need MORE yard and I was all Sure Do!! I'm a fat lazy American!
ps
I like tofu baked & spicified
"clearing brush"? How... presidential ... of you. ;)
No easy way to clear out tangled bits in my experience, other than The Hard Way. Unless, of course, you have a safe area to do a controlled burn. Ya know, cycle of life in the prairie and all that hoosey-whatsey.
I am totally on the Veggie Burger (or Black Bean Burger) With Bacon bandwagon. I ain't eatin' veg/bean burgers 'cause of my conscience. I eats 'em 'cause I likes 'em. I likes me some bacon too.
Tofu cook-off. We need a tofu festival to convince you of the error of your ways.
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