The offsetting racket follows a holy precedent

Your reporting of the phantom carbon credits scandal is very welcome (Spotlight, 27 January). But the bigger problem lies with the concept of offsetting itself, whether in the established market in carbon or the quickly emerging market in biodiversity.

Such schemes offer a licence, indeed an incentive, to polluters to carry on polluting. Without damage – emissions or ecological vandalism – there is nothing to offset, a situation that would make investors and speculators in these markets unhappy.

As George Monbiot remarked in 2006, this setup is reminiscent of the indulgences scam run by the medieval church. Richard Middleton Crossmichael, Scotland, UK