Correction to an earlier post.
I said the Wall Street Journal reported that Gore buys his carbon offsets from Generation Investment Management, a company he founded and profits from. That was not quit accurate. WSJ reported today that it turns out GIM isn't a provider of carbon credits. GIM purchases credits to offset the emissions of Gore and its 23 employees from an offshore company.

Still smells. Personally I think the idea of buying carbon credits to offset guilty liberals CO2 emissions is the biggest scam associated with global warming. It's humorous and not surprising to see enviro-hypocrites try to rationalize their lifestyles like medieval lords buying indulgences to annul their sins.
My favor scheme that I've seen so far is a company that offers to sell credits to offset your pet's flatulence.

Original story from James Taranto at WSJ
The Tennessean reported that Gore buys "carbon offsets" to compensate for his home's use of energy from carbon-based fuels. As Wikipedia explains, a carbon offset "is a service that tries to reduce the net carbon emissions of individuals or organizations indirectly, through proxies who reduce their emissions and/or increase their absorption of greenhouse gases." . . .
But how Gore buys his "carbon offsets," as revealed by The Tennessean raises serious questions. According to the newspaper's report, Gore buys his carbon offsets through Generation Investment Management:
Gore helped found Generation Investment Management, through which he and others pay for offsets. The firm invests the money in solar, wind and other projects that reduce energy consumption around the globe . . .
Gore is chairman of the firm and, presumably, draws an income or will make money as its investments prosper. In other words, he "buys" his "carbon offsets" from himself, through a transaction designed to boost his own investments and return a profit to himself. To be blunt, Gore doesn't buy "carbon offsets" through Generation Investment Management--he buys stocks. . . .


Taranto's Correction
It appears that, contrary to the blog item we cited last week, Al Gore does not buy "carbon offsets" from Generation Investment Management, the firm he helped found. Rather, according to both CNSNews.com (hat tip: Iain Murray) and an email that a reader of this column received from GIM's Louise Martin, GIM buys carbon offsets for Gore from another source. Here's the Martin email:
Generation Investment Management LLP is an asset management company that invests in long-only, global, public equities with a concentrated portfolio of 30-50 companies. Generation is not a carbon offset provider, and does not invest any of its assets under management in carbon offset projects.
As part of its broader commitment to sustainability, Generation offsets the energy use of its operations and the personal emissions of its staff, including Mr. Gore. This is done through third party providers and is based on rigorous assessment of the team's total energy footprint.
So Gore can fly in private jets, tool around town in an SUV, and burn electricity at his Nashville mansion like there's no tomorrow, and it's all fine because his employer pays for his dispensations. If only we could all get in on this scheme, we could prevent "global warming" and it wouldn't cost us a thing!

Thought I would throw this in from treehuggers.com . http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/02/is_george_bush.php

Looks like George Bush is more enviro friendly than Al Gore.

Only your dispassionate Canadian correspondent could write this without colour or favour, but is it possible that George Bush is a secret Green? Evidently his Crawford Winter White House has 25,000 gallons of rainwater storage, gray water collection from sinks and showers for irrigation, passive solar, geothermal heating and cooling. “By marketplace standards, the house is startlingly small,” says David Heymann, the architect of the 4,000-square-foot home. “Clients of similar ilk are building 16-to-20,000-square-foot houses.” Furthermore for thermal mass the walls are clad in "discards of a local stone called Leuders limestone, which is quarried in the area. The 12-to-18-inch-thick stone has a mix of colors on the top and bottom, with a cream- colored center that most people want. “They cut the top and bottom of it off because nobody really wants it,” Heymann says. “So we bought all this throwaway stone. It’s fabulous. It’s got great color and it is relatively inexpensive.”