The Carbon Game

Carbon Games

The whole idea of carbon sequestration is a bit of a game isn’t it? Governments play at trading credits with each other, they gently cajole (who said manipulate?) figures and statistics to meet targets. Then they have endless meetings where they agree to move any targets that they still can’t meet. Why are playing this game?

It’s like a lottery pool on the future of the planet. If we hit the jackpot, then yay, congratulations, the planet continues and we all survive. Yet still we get to be just as selfish as before.

If we lose, then who do we blame? The people who were in power at the time of virtually no progress with the endless game playing?

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Life Is A Lottery

worldThat’s a pretty widespread quote, but I’m not sure who first coined it.

But life sure is a lottery – you really don’t know what the future is going to bring. The world has been changing at such a frantic pace for so long now we’re not even sure if the planet we live on will continue to keep up with us.

That doesn’t make us any more ‘special’ than the planet of course – it actually just makes us a fairly blinkered species. Head down charging into the future regardless of environmental consequences, or anything else for that matter.

Just like a lottery game, we might ultimately win the jackpot. Or at least win 2nd prize. It’s just that sometimes the odds of that seem fairly slim. Maybe we should ask the Lottery Guy for some help (you can find him on Facebook, or even Twitter here).

We’re counting carbon credits because it feels like something we can do. Which is of course far better and more positive than the nay-sayers who simply do nothing at all, yet still try to claim the moral high ground. It’s a strange old world.

The Office Pool

happy office pool

There’s a really good reason I like playing with the office lottery pool.

Well, actually there’s two reasons.

The first is that it costs me next to nothing. I ‘fund’ just the one ticket. But my efforts, combined with everybody elses, means we actually buy around 40 to 50 tickets a week (depending on who forgets to pay – no pay, no play!). Which, by the power of ‘not too difficult’ maths, means 40 to 50 times the chance of winning the lottery.

The other (admittedly quite big) reason, is that it’s practically zero effort for me. You can also play in a lottery syndicate online, so you don’t have to find an office pool for that zero effort pleasure!

So I don’t have to line up in a queue to buy a ticket. As I’m just a member of the pool and not the organiser that also means I don’t have to worry about all that other stuff too. Like managing money, entries, people… wow, way too much work if you ask me. But I’m glad someone is happy to do it – thanks Alex 🙂

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