BANGOR DAILY NEWS • January 16, 2021
As more and more companies pay Maine organizations such as the Downeast Lakes Land Trust to grow trees that store atmospheric carbon, the debate is intensifying over whether carbon offsets are truly helping mitigate climate change. How the debate plays out will shape how the world tackles global warming. It will also determine how much money from large polluting corporations will flow to Maine landowners. There is evidence that the benefits of carbon offsets to the climate are overstated and that carbon markets allow large polluting companies to avoid making the tough choices needed to reduce their carbon emissions. Proponents point out that offsets are protecting nature and are part of a number of solutions to limit climate change. And Maine stands to benefit from them financially.