Attention Shoppers: Carbon Offsets in Aisle 6

As I write this blog, I am looking out onto the beautiful Atlantic Ocean and I can’t help but think about businesses that disrespect the earth and the effect that has on the environment.  I have written a few posts on business and the environment because it is of interest to me.  On Wednesday, March 7^th the New York Times published a special section called “The Business of Green.”  I found the article titled “Attention Shoppers: Carbon Offsets in Aisle 6” of interest because some of the companies mentioned were discussed in our class. 

            Many companies have spent millions of dollars putting their money where their consumers’ mouths are and are taking pride in their environmental changes, but have consumers put their own money where their mouths are?  Consumers want businesses to go green, yet they are not going green themselves.  How much responsibility should be split between the corporation and the consumer?

            Companies such as Whole Foods and Travelocity are charging more money and are giving that money to places such as the Renewable Choice Energy or to the Conservation Fund.  The idea is that the mark-up that consumers are paying goes to offset their share of carbon emissions.  Companies have taken responsibility for the design, manufacturing, and disposal of their products and are offering consumers a convenient way to offset the climate implications of their usage.  However, is this too easy for consumers?  Is simply writing a check enough?   Doe this assuage their guilt for not changing their behaviors such as turning down the thermostat, car pooling, or weatherproofing their homes?  

            Dell, a company we have been discussing over the course of the semester, has been buying renewable energy and offering free recycling of computers.  Soon Dell will have a program whereby customers can pay an extra $2 for a notebook or $6 for a desktop that will be given to the Conservation Fund and the Carbonfund.  These organizations will use the funds to plant trees that absorb carbon dioxide and offset the emissions that their computers are generating.  Will paying an extra few dollars create consumers becoming lax about cutting real carbon reductions like driving and flying?  

I think that charging extra for products in order to offset emissions is both good and bad.  It is good because the majority of people find change difficult or are simply too lazy to abide by the changes that will reduce emissions, so this is better than nothing at all.  On the other hand, it will also enable consumers not to make other reductions that will help the environment substantially more than just offsetting the emissions.  However, this may show Congress that people care enough and that they will pay extra for “green” and that might speed up the development of alternate energy sources.  It is definitely a tough call.

I think the bottom line is if consumers really cared about the environment they would be switching to florescent light bulbs and hybrid cars.  Consumers need to take responsibility for the emissions they create and take action.  I am impressed with corporations that are going beyond their design, manufacturing, and disposal responsibilities to help consumers help the environment.  It is a two way street between the corporation and the consumer- the corporations have done their part of going green but the consumers really haven’t. 

These types of programs may become a huge competitive advantage for companies like Dell.  Consumers may feel better buying products knowing that they are helping the environment in some way.  I am interested to see how Dell and other companies will go about implementing and marketing this kind of program in the near future.