This coming August, former Public Enemy hype man Flavor Flav will enjoy the first ever carbon neutral celebrity roast, courtesy of Comedy Central. From the article,
“Comedy Central will achieve “carbon neutrality” by purchasing so-called offsets from NativeEnergy. So, that means Comedy Central will be able to pollute all they want throughout the night and then just write a check to soothe their guilty conscience. Go environment!”
One one hand, the author has a point. I’m starting to get a little tired of companies claiming they’re now “green” as a result of carbon credits. An investment in carbon neutrality should never be an excuse to proceed with “business as usual”. If Comedy Central truly wants to advertise the event as eco-friendly, they should makes steps to reduce the footprint of the event first and then offset it. Will there be alternative-energy vehicles to shuttle people around? Efficient lighting and/or recycled materials, composting leftover food, use of corn-based plastics, etc.
Carbon Neutrality is a great first step — but please realize that it’s no longer enough to justify a fully-green event. You can view the release here.
About Michael dEstries
Michael has been blogging since 2005 on issues such as sustainability, renewable energy, philanthropy, and healthy living. He regularly contributes to a slew of publications, as well as consulting with companies looking to make an impact using the web and social media. He lives in Ithaca, NY with his family on an apple farm.View all posts by Michael dEstries →
