Arlington to vote Tuesday on turning methane into cold hard cash

Dallas Spohn, says:

Hey, I just bought a hotel on Pennsylvania Ave. Can I pass go and collect $200? The carbon footprint is a load of hohaha. Unless you explain it to me better than the Al Gores of the world can.

Chris Kidd, says:

When I first read the headline, I thought they were going to crush some meth labs and create energy from that....Probably more than Spohn has done, as he also likely prone to tossing out lit cig butts on the highway and kicking puppies in his freetime ;)

Seriously, at least Arlington is taking a forward step in preserving the environment. Footprinting is a very real thing and quite frankly, we shoulld all take notice.

Dallas Spohn, says:

I really enjoy kicking puppies. May not toss cig butts out the window. But I do enjoy a good puppy kicking :) I can see your reasoning to taking the piss out of me but chrisdanger, can you even explain to me what the carbon footprint is? or are you just jumping on the band wagon because that’s the "cool" thing to do? look, I have no problem with Arlington doing something environmentally friendly. But, I think there are other things they can do that is more worth while. I am on the fence about the carbon footprinting thing. I can be swayed if you explain it to me. now I am off to kick more puppies.

Chris Kidd, says:

Spohn, yes I do : A carbon footprint is a measure of the impact human activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases produced, measured in units of carbon dioxide.

I never really have been one to be a cool kid, always did my own thing. I also agree theres bigger things arlington, heck this whole area, can do to make it a more healthy place to live. For one, im a huge proponant of making our skies around here cleaner, esp. in the downtown areas. One way is to reduce the amount of vehicles allowed in the city centers and areas around. One thing we should try is a congestion tax, which has been done successfully elsewhere. Its been proven to lower carbon emissions, as well as making the cities it has been implemented in better places to live.

Dallas Spohn, says:

Ok, so it's an individual human existence that is measured, If I buy a polluting paper mill, does that add my personal footprint or a collective footprint? And I would like to know who spent money to do the research to come up with this? It’s not something I would choose to spend my hard earned money on. I would like to know who did though. Testing how much my fart would pollute the world. What, with project earth increasing phytoplankton in our oceans to filter more carbon dioxide than ever before. Does things like this counter the carbon footprint or is that kind of stuff not factored into the equation? because it doesn’t create that much of a national scare as global warming? And the facts that this yokel looks at is, It hasn’t been this cold in Sept since the early 1900’s How many times have we had an ice age on this planet? 3? 4? The planet changes like the tides in the ocean.

Dallas Spohn, says:

So, turn off a light once in a while, don't waste stuff, put your recyclables in the recycle bin. Don't drive when you can walk. I thought we were already doing stuff like that? why complicate it? And no, you can not get an accurate measure of it. Maybe a household tally would be close to accurate. Maybe a controlled city, but a nation? the world? You going to tell me you know exactly the amount of pollution that china is producing? south America?

Dallas Spohn, says:

exactly, they are not.. So how can you put a value on something that you can not measure world wide (you would need a world wide control measurement to start from)? jtmbls has it right... it's a guess. So don't spin out of it. like I said before, I am on the fence about this subject. Explain to me how it works.

Dallas Spohn, says:

thats sweet jtmbls. do you get little pictures in the mail to tell you how well your tree is growing up? I smell a gimmick that I could possibly get into. If there are really that many guilty feeling suckers, then I can be a very rich man before I die. I'll have to get lessons from my moms on how to perfect the "guilt trip" first.

Chris Kidd, says:

Im of the belief we're all responsible for our planet. I myself quit driving recently and ride my bike to work. In ddition, I also started using CFLs in my lights sometime ago and cranked up my AC to 78-80 degrees while I was at work during the summer, which has saved me a decent amount of cash on my electric bills.

Dallas Spohn, says:

I don't think you can govern what a company can emit in their emissions. Since it takes different processes to produce different products or services. If you reduce their emissions then you reduce their productivity which reduces their profit. If they can not reduce their emissions then they have to pay which also reduces their profit. Or it’s not fair. I don't have a problem with the free market idea of carbon credits. But some companies emit more than others to produce goods that we all use. It's not regulated. last time I checked, there are things like trees and algae and the things that naturally convert co2 back to o2. There is a stat I read that 95% of carbon emissions occur naturally. Given this was in 2000-02 or around there. I agree that people should conserve energy, look for cleaner energy, that’s common sense. But how, in a logical mind can you give a value to something that can not be accurately adjusted? Then have the nerve to profit from it?

Dallas Spohn, says:

wanted to add a thanks to luniz for making the most sense to me. But also adding, who is it that put a value on carbon produced or removed?