Some firms and private individuals have sought to be "carbon neutral" by purchasing carbon dioxide emission credits to offset the effects of their own energy use. As I have noted before (in this series of posts), there are serious questions about the validity of such offset credits. Now the Federal Trade Commission is taking a look. The New York Times reports:

Corporations and shoppers in the United States spent more than $54 million last year on carbon offset credits toward tree planting, wind farms, solar plants and other projects to balance the emissions created by, say, using a laptop computer or flying on a jet.

But where exactly is that money going?

The Federal Trade Commission, which regulates advertising claims, raised the question Tuesday in its first hearing in a series on green marketing, this one focusing on carbon offsets. . . .

To supply and manage the carbon offsets, big consumer brands are turning to a growing number of little-known companies, like TerraPass, and nonprofits, like Carbonfund.org. These intermediaries also cater to corporations that want to become "carbon-neutral" by purchasing offsets for the carbon dioxide they release. . . .

The F.T.C. has not accused anyone of wrongdoing — neither the providers of carbon offsets nor the consumer brands that sell them. But environmentalists say — and the F.T.C.'s hearings suggest — that it is only a matter of time until the market faces greater scrutiny from the government or environmental organizations.