No doubt you have heard of carbon offsetting.  This is a service that enables you to pay money to assuage your conscience for your part in destroying the Earth. 

This is how it works:  Let’s say you want to fly to Hawaii for vacation.  The jet you fly on will generate tons of CO2, which some scientists believe is the cause of global warming.  To cover your portion of the pollution, you can purchase a carbon offset, and in return, the sellers promise to use your money to plant a tree.

Conservation and preservation of the planet is extremely important for our human species and all living things.  But carbon offsets are just plain stupid.  In most cases, it’s just a shell game that uses your hard-earned money to line the pockets of swindlers.  Why do I believe this?  Because there are thousands of web sites that will TAKE your money for carbon offsets, but not a single website that will PAY you money for any positive effects that you may have on the environment.  In my opinion, you are better off spending your money on compact fluorescent lightbulbs.

But the overwhelming success of carbon offsets has some crooks thinking about how to use this shell game to lure other suckers.  And voila, "cheat offsetting" is born.  The concept is simple, as described on CheatNeutral.com:

"When you cheat on your partner you add to the heartbreak, pain and jealousy in the atmosphere. Cheatneutral offsets your cheating by funding someone else to be faithful and NOT cheat. This neutralizes the pain and unhappy emotion and leaves you with a clear conscience."

Unfortunately, the only thing you will be left with is an empty wallet and a bad case of genital warts.  Instead, perhaps you should use that guilt money to buy your wife some flowers.

Thanks to Global Warming: Fact or Fiction? for this story.

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