Worried about your carbon footprint? Don't be stressed! You can smoke as much as you want – as long as you buy some compensation to balance it out. Afraid of wildlife collapse? no problem! We can figure out how much our ecosystem is worth and let the market do the rest!
Welcome to the logic of green capitalism. Fossil fuel giants claim to celebrate sustainability while reducing toxic emissions. Governments rely on carbon offsets to meet their climate commitments. We are told that we can harness the magic of economic markets to combat the climate crisis.
Why are companies so interested in sustainability? Will carbon offsets save us – or are they just a cute accounting trick? If wind and solar are so cheap, why aren't we embracing them?
Ayesha Thomas Smith with Adrienne Buller, author of “The Value of a Whale: On the Fantasy of Green Capitalism” and Bray, author of “The Price is Wrong: Why Capitalism Can't Save the Planet” Christophers together.
Music by Serge Quadrado, used under a Creative Commons license: Creativecommons.org/lic/4.0/.
