OMG... This is the biggest load of horse crap i have ever heard of..!!!
Does this guy REALLY think that he can compensate his ENTIRE life for only $3,000..?
Nice try, but i have a feeling that all he did was enlarge the coffers of carbonfund.org.

Bill

I wonder how much carbon Bill Nigh generates in a single day of trolling. I mean, there's his computer, his monitor, and don't forget to factor in a huge amount of bullshit...

mr getreal,

So you feel tht a $.10 certificate printed off of al gores computer and sent to this guy, is worth a lifetime of waste, and $3,000...?
I think you are the ones full of BS... HAHAHA
Strange how the liberal mind is so easy to twist.. and fool..?

Bill

Bill is a complete moron, but... In this instance, he's 100% right. Mr. Mewhort is an idiot. You want to do something to reduce your footprint, consume less. Sounds like he's already doing that, and good for him. But paying some "non-profit" $3000 for a piece of paper and a promise is just plain stupid.

Unfortunately like those who posted here too many do not believe in thw earths changes. Some think it has happened before and then everything was whiped out so what. Now we face the absolute destruction of what my children and yours need to survive. Do you not owe them the time to at least open our mind and eyes to learn what we humans are doing to our own children's future? Sad that the end of what we hold dear will happen while those who deride or laugh at those who are trying to do anything. $3000 bucks is weird to me too but how about the changing light bulbs? How about the plastic trash bags? Use a reuseable. Do a small part and we won't tell you laughed at us.

linda,

I am a person who HAS changed all the light bulbs in my home... My wife and i DO NOT use plastic bag at the store, paper only..!!! I always make sure i seperate the recycle from the garbage...:-)
My whole point is that i HATE seeing these people CONNED by some fly by night "Green" carbon credit scam..!!! al gore has conned so many, good intentioned, people into thinking that if you contribute to HIS programs, you are doing something...? He is lying to you and making fools out of the good natured people who are really trying to make a differance.
You are right, we must consume less, even if the next ice age IS coming and this is just a natural cycle, any smart person KNOWS that we need to leave our children something..HUH.."

BIll

Don't you think using all mehthods that are useful for saving this here world of ours is worth investigating, corporate or otherwise? So maybe this carbon bank thing has some merit. However, before preaching about it, I would think it prudent for more information to be available as to how it works and how transparent its operations are....personally i wouldn't invest or donate any money to anything without this info. Also, I think its time for celebraty greenies, and others with profile, to talk more of multiple means of doing things, instead of showing what seems to be too much individual bias to particular systems. To much bias = a likelyhood of becoming deaf to new ways, or even other established ways of doing thing. We're in a hurry here to fix things people...too much rigidness relating to the means and methods doesnt help. Personally Id be more enclined to donate to research...or something really practical like planting more trees, or setting up a community garden, or buying a solar panel. What are your thoughts?

Every non-profit must file an IRS form regarding their operations. As with any person’s position, including my own, I encourage others to research the facts themselves, be objective, and then draw your own conclusions… oh, and follow the money.

Guidestar.org provides info on non-profits on-line, so I checked out Carbonfund.org Foundation and provide you information from their IRS 990 forms.

2004
Revenue: $3200
Expenses: $2000
Amount to Mission: $0

2005
Revenue: $39,500
Expenses: $28,867
Amount to Mission: $12,625 went to ‘supporting carbon reducing/offsetting projects”
Salaries (included in Expenses): Craig Coulter $7500

2006
Revenue: $749,129
Expenses: $434,530
Amount to Mission: $127,944 went to “Green Power/Carbon Offset Projects”
Salaries (included in Expenses): Eric Carlson, $60,000, Lesley Carlson, $11,000, Craig Coulter, $85,000, Others, $60,000

Draw your own conclusions, but here are my observations.

1. This was a start-up in 2003 run by Eric and Lesley Carlson, most likely, out of their home. In 2005 they brought Craig Coulter on board and the following year, 2006, was a banner year, creating over $300,000 in profit for this non-profit foundation.
2. Profits grew from $1200 to $310,00 in three years. I wish my 401K grew at this rate!
3. The year the three officers became full time employees, along with others, their combined wages exceeded the amount given to Green Power/Carbon Offset Projects by $88,000.
4. 2007 results should be posted in the next two months according to Guidestar. I will be watching.
5. I will not give money to any organization that returns only 17% of revenue to its mission (based on 2006). This means that Brad Mewhort really only gave $510 out of his hard-earned $3000 to green projects. Of course, those green projects have admin costs, too, so maybe $100 out of $3000 went to do anything close to what Brad envisioned. But at least his conscious feels better. Ridding oneself of guilt is probably worth $3000.
6. Better to cut out the middleperson and buy $3000 of trees for the local parks. Keep the money in your community.
7. I continue to be totally amazed at how well-intentioned people are led astray by misinformation. Getting to the truth is not that difficult, but for many their emotions are manipulated to the point of gullibility.

Of course, MotherJones.com is part of a non-profit called Foundation for National Progess, San Francisco. So I thought it might me interesting to check them out.

Now...if after this post you no longer see my name on any of the boards, you will know that I am being censored.

Per their IRS 990 form, the Foundation for National Progess' revenue was nearly $10 million in 2006.

Their top officers and directors make $150K to $180K per year.

In 2006 one of their Directors donated $2.5 million.

They paid consultants and commissions of $500K.

There's much more and free for the person that is interested. Again, Guidestar.org is the place to find info on non-profits.

Wow, coming from another country, this has been a bit of an eye-opener!

B Wallace:

Sources? Links?

Show me the money man, otherwise, you're spouting off...

Dear Suppertime

Thanks very much for holding me accountable for sources and facts.

I see a lot of spouting off in these forums and if you check my other posts, you will see that I try to include source links to support my points.

I respectfully ask that you and other forum readers challenge others the same way you have challenged me. Many of the so-called experts here are saying things for which there is just no scientific or objective evidence. Very frustrating to me.

Ok...to answer your challenge.

Go to
www.guidestar.org.

You will have to register, but it is free.

Next, search for any U.S. registered non-profit you wish, including the two I referenced.

Most non-profits must file a Form 990 with the IRS. Churches are exempt.

The facts I posted above come right from their Form 990s and are signed typically by an officer of the non-profit.

Most environmental interest groups have registered themselves as "501(c)" corporations...501(c) is the IRS code section number, hence their name. Why do these groups seek this designation? Because contributions are tax deductible to the contributor and they wish to motivate you to support them. In other words, these groups receive an indirect government subsidy. In addition, your contributions are very profitable for them and it costs them nothing.

It is impossible to look into a person's heart and tell their real motivations, but when you look at the gross revenues and officer/director compensations, you begin to understand that there may be more to their "spouting offs" than just concern for the environment.

Think for a moment...

Unless there is a boogie man, what need is there for you and your organization? Do you think anyone ever creates or exaggerates an "enemy" so that an army of people arises, follows, and contributes to "the cause"?

How many people are making a living off of being "anti-nuclear"?

I extend an open challenge to anyone who wishes to debate the issues as long as they bring objective and scientific facts to back up their “spouting offs.”

Please look for yourself at Guidestar.org to validate what I have posted and then let the rest of us know what you found. Fair enough?

Suppertime

I should have noted that once you find the non-profit organization, scroll down and find the IRS Form 990s. They are PDF files and you will have to open them up to read them.

Thanks

Suppertime... and others.

Any response to the financial data?

In the meantime, I checked Amory Lovin's Rocky Mountain Institute 501(c)(3) "non-profit." They had nearly $10 million in revenue in 2006. $700,000 in travel. $108,000 in telephone costs.

How do you spend $9000 per month in telephone calls?

Mr. Lovins makes a tidy salary and I assume, lives for free in one of the three properties listed as "Staff Housing."

I am in the wrong business.

p.s. All this is from their IRS Form 990, available for all to see.

Barry, the environmental groups are 501 (c) because global warming is the new religion of our times. If, by chance, you are a non believer, you will not get funding and you will be black listed, like the Jews were in Catholic France. People are people. They can not tolerate diversity of ideas. See Ben Stein's movie, EXpelled.

Ben, et al

Interesting analogy. However, I am not against an organization using the IRS tax codes to their benefit... I use every deduction I can!

I am also not against the leaders of legitimate organizations making a good living, either.

What rattles my chain is when activists position themselves as elitists, all caring social-re-engineers, and exagerators of the truth (liars would be too harsh). I fear Carbonfund.org is one.

In the forum article it references a man giving Carbonfund.org $3000 to offset his very carbon-based existance. I did not know this was a sin, but now I have been enlightened.

I can just imagine the guilt this poor man was feeling. And it sounds like he scraped up his last little bit of cash to give to this wonderful organization so he could at last make up for his very existance (isn't that sad in and of itself?). And then when you look at Carbonfund.org’s very own figures, maybe $300 or 10% went to its intended purpose! He would have been better off buying $3000 of grass sod and laying it his backyard or a local children's playground. Much better use of his resources.

I intend to watch closely this organization’s tax forms for 2007. If you look at their website there is an amazing number of company’s that have aligned themselves with Carbonfund.org. If their 2007 return shows the same thing as their 2006 form, I am going to make sure all those sponsors know what is going on.