What we need is some good carbon-solution neutral advice

Sir Jonathan Guthrie's "How I was deluded by my own carbon footprint", May 3, illustrates in a funny way the tragedy of what many of us have been saying for years, namely that to counter the serious climate change challenges, the marketing of medieval indulgences, for some fairly undefined carbon sins, in order to use the proceeds (after commissions) for some not that very clear good deeds, will just not cut it. The fact that the market seems mostly to be made up by a mix of innocent and well intentioned believers and state of the art speculators, and supervised all by an often much hypocritical environmental clergy does not make it easier. By the way it must be history's irony at work that has the current carbon indulgences system receiving its strongest support in protestant countries.

As for myself, having had some intentions to vacation in such a way that would leave a truly horrible carbon footprint, I am currently looking for someone to convince me that I am morally much better of if I allow them to finance me a more responsible alternative. Any offers? Seriously, if climate change is serious we should act seriously, and in order to do that what the world most needs is some good carbon-solution neutral advice.

The Protestants and their carbon emission indulgencies

Sir, Gideon Rachman correctly points out that the issue of global warming could save the union of the European Union but of course it could also end up as just “Another European commitment that might vanish into thin (and perhaps hot) air", March 20.

Beside Rachman’s arguments this week, here in Washington, as part of the celebrations of the 50 years of EU Joachim Radkau is going to give at the World Bank an address titled "Protestantism and Environmentalism: In Quest of a Weberian Approach to Eco-History", and frankly, even though I am a protestant, I do not believe the world, or Europe, can really afford to make anything that could smell even so slightly religious-divisive out of the environment, but needs instead to keep is as a big uniting almost ecumenical movement.

Having said that I must mention that I am still quite curious about how Mr. Radkau intends to explain how so many European protestant countries now favour, in the name of the environment, the trading of carbon emission rights. Those sound to me so much like those old catholic permissions-to-sin indulgences that Martin Luther fought so hard against.