What do you guys think about these? The tobacco companies have gotten together and are going to begin selling carcinogen offsets. The way it works is, people who smoke will buy them - they'll either be sold as an added price to tobacco, or the company will just sell them directly.

Part of the proceeds will go towards things like the tobacco companies research into the effects of second hand smoke and cancer and emphysema and what not.

Basically, these offsets would allow people to smoke guild free.

At first, I was a little skeptical. I thought this is way too much like letting the fox guard the hen house, and furthermore, what kind of idiot would fall for buying them, and what kind of idiot would think more of some smoker because she bought them.

Then I remembered how well carbon offsets are working, and how popular they are. Remember when we found out Al Gore is using something like 20 times the amount of energy as average Americans? Everyone thought he was a hypocrite for about 30 seconds, then his handlers simply told everyone he was blowing money on carbon offsets, then even the greenest of Greens all went right back to thinking everything is cool.

I looked into these carbon offsets myself by simply going to the Tenessee Valley Authority web site and reading their faqs. Al is buying his electricity off the same grid as everyone else, so he really is burning 20x more carbon than the people he's telling to cut down. But the fact is, he's paying more for it, and the power company is saying that part of the extra proceeds go to buying new wind mills and such. And that's good enough for the global warming cult.

So these carcinogen offsets will likely work. Most of the people who are most against tobacco smoke are also the type who nod their head at Al Gore and his carbon offsets, so logic says they'll fall for the carcinogen offsets too.

why would anybody pay tobacco companies to research the negative effects of smoking?

It's like paying McDonalds to research the negative effects of their products.

It's like Al Gore paying TVA more per unit for the same energy the people in the trailor park down the road are buying.

It's in the tobacco company's best interests to find ways to make cigarettes that are less harmful, then they could sell more of them.

Besides, you're missing the whole point - the purpose isn't really to solve anything. Carbon offsets don't solve anything or result in conserved energy, it just makes people feel good. You of all people should be in favor of that.

Edit: BTW, I have been meaning to compliment you on your new Santa Claus icon. Its very cheery.

Basically its a marketing gimmick for tobacco companies to make more money off of people.

Well..., yeah, just like the carbon offsets.

Where do you suppose the rest of the proceeds will go? Aside from advertising costs, this is pretty much pure profit for the tobacco companies. Shouldn't the money go entirely towards research? Otherwise it's not offsetting anything.

Who knows how they'll divy it up behind closed doors. No one knows what happens to the carbon offset money either, and everyone is fine with that.

Hey. If it saves just one life, right?

True enough, there needs to be some regulations in the carbon offset industry. However, you can buy carbon offset credits from non-profit organizations that support renewable energy and other environmental research. I'd trust that more than a tobacco company selling carcinogen offsets.

Algore bought his offsets from the power company.

<sarcasm>Oh, well if Al Gore does it, then everyone should.</sarcasm>

Exactly.

So if Al Gore jumped off a bridge we should do it?

There you go seisen, I edited it for you

Actually is was directed towards Rasczak.

Wouldn't you? I wouldn't - I think Al Gore is a nutjob.

Then why did you say this

who cares what such filthy rich politician does? lol

Because that's how Algore fanbois think.

About 95% of liberals and a portion of the moderates in this country. He is the liberal progressives' hero.

Yes, and GWB is the conservatives' hero. [/sarcasm]