Evading catastrophic climate change requires massive changes, a complete rejection of the status quo. It will not be profitable.

“Carbon neutral” often means “we keep pumping out the CO2 and other pollutants, but we spend money with some outfit that assures us it’s used to plant trees somewhere, so it evens out.”

But maybe it means indigenous people who have protected and lived with forests for millennia are evicted, the trees are cut and sold, and then a tree plantation is put in, paid for by the offset company. A tree plantation is not a forest; it’s a biological desert …

The way to reduce emissions in the global North is to reduce emissions in the global North. But those intent on business as usual are always seeking shell games and green paint.

Mary Wildfire, Roane County, WV