Philosophical question of the day

PapaLazaru · 16 Jan 2020 at 16:58

Could one become carbon neutral if one had the money, by just buying up a load of woodland and leaving it?

PapaLazaru · 16 Jan 2020 at 19:58

nkata said:
Buying up a field and planting native tree species and just leaving it, yes. However it depends on your lifestyle as well, you may exceed your allowance.

Theoretically just buy more as required?

PapaLazaru · 16 Jan 2020 at 20:01

Brizzles said:
No, because that existing woodland would have been helping to make you carbon neutral to start with.

Well the woodland would have been offsetting carbon, but as it was not mine, it could have been built upon.

By buying it myself and making sure it was not built upon, I would be preserving it, hence being able to offset it against my own carbon footprint.

This is all theoretical, was just thinking about it today.

PapaLazaru · 16 Jan 2020 at 21:03

R.P.L said:
If the woodland already exists, buying it doesn't do anything to offset your carbon emissions, so no.

But I would be making sure they would not be cut down at some point?

PapaLazaru · 18 Jan 2020 at 20:01

dowie said:
Yeah, you don't need to directly buy land/plant trees yourself - carbon offset programs already exist.

Yes but someone will always take a cut. This is purely theoretical, rather something I would do. My question was more about taking ownership of something that already exists and filters carbon, then claiming it against my own carbon footprint.