Carbon offsets: saviour or cop-out?

"While some types of offsets can act as an effective means to address greenhouse gas emissions, they should not be seen as a license to pollute or as a means to continue unsustainable practices. Too often, offsets are being used by governments and business as a smokescreen to distract people from the need to cut emissions. By diverting people’s funds and attention to projects that are unlikely to reduce emissions significantly, some offset schemes could ultimately do more harm than good".