Why is buying your own carbon footprint a bad idea

I was reading today news about San Francisco airport allowing passengers to buy their carbon footprint equivalent to the distance they’re traveling. It seems a noble idea, as the money are then spent on projects meat to diminish carbon emissions. The idea of buying carbon footprint, carbon quota (if associated to big factories) isn’t new but I want to stress the fact that this is not a solution to our problems, as it just gets more money for the government and it does not reduces pollution and therefore global warming.

A buying carbon footprint or carbon offset is just like a fine, it does not reduces your emissions. If the fine is not big enough there’s no incentive to make you reduce those emissions. It’s like to bribe your way around if you pass a certain amount, more that you were allowed to. That’s no way to get things on track for global warming.

What we need is a way to make technology affordable. Everyone would use an electric vehicle if it’s cheaper and performs batter than a gasoline car. Now going Green is a costly option and that’s what holds us back. What’s your take on this matter?