Re:Co2Stats (YC summer 08) compensates for your site pollution
by alex_c on Thursday August 14, 2008 @11:15PM
(#276723)
My first reaction to this was extremely negative. My thoughts were probably along the lines of the Techcrunch comments.
After thinking about it for a bit, I decided that I don't have anything against CO2Stats itself. What's more, it seems like a pretty obvious idea (more power to them if they're the first to implement it), and I think it's pretty likely to succeed.
What really bugs me is the kind of faulty thinking which is what will make it a success. It's the same kind of thinking which leads to huge unnecessary cardboard or plastic packaging with a recycling sign on it. It has the currently fashionable environment-friendly sign on it, therefore it's OK to consume more!
I guess I'm just not comfortable with the idea of offsetting actually making a difference. You're still putting that CO2 out there, you just have a shiny certificate to show that... you're... not? It's basically the same objection as coffeemug's, just from a different perspective.
Edit: the video on the CO2Stats website actually sums it up nicely. It's about making your visitors "feel good". It's not very clear to me that it's about making an actual difference.
After thinking about it for a bit, I decided that I don't have anything against CO2Stats itself. What's more, it seems like a pretty obvious idea (more power to them if they're the first to implement it), and I think it's pretty likely to succeed.
What really bugs me is the kind of faulty thinking which is what will make it a success. It's the same kind of thinking which leads to huge unnecessary cardboard or plastic packaging with a recycling sign on it. It has the currently fashionable environment-friendly sign on it, therefore it's OK to consume more!
I guess I'm just not comfortable with the idea of offsetting actually making a difference. You're still putting that CO2 out there, you just have a shiny certificate to show that... you're... not? It's basically the same objection as coffeemug's, just from a different perspective.
Edit: the video on the CO2Stats website actually sums it up nicely. It's about making your visitors "feel good". It's not very clear to me that it's about making an actual difference.