House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was in Denver yesterday to help announce the Democratic National Convention Committee's new initiative, the "Green Delegate Challenge." The challenge is a contest between all states sending delegates to their convention " to buy offsets for the carbon footprint they'll leave by traveling and staying in the metro area."

The piece continues:

Delegates can purchase an offset from Native Energy for about $7.50. Offsets are a way for a person to figure how much carbon they would put in the air and, by purchasing it from a company, that company promises to eliminate the equivalent amount emitted somewhere down the line.

Native Energy is a firm based in Oregon and Colorado that calculates carbon footprints.

The state with the highest participation by percentage of delegates will win a variety of prizes, including being recognized in their seating on the floor of the convention in the Pepsi Center.

With 100 percent participation, California would have the highest offset bill — in excess of $3,500. Any offsets purchased beyond the delegates — family traveling with delegates, for example — would be voluntary.

Please. So you drive a Hummer to the convention, or fly in a jet, then you pay money to Native Energy to offset the footprint you left? How can they accurately--and physically--do that? I read this analogy of offsetting and thought it was apropos: Offsetting one's carbon footprint is like getting drunk then going to AA. It's a zero sum game people, and it's bunk. It's Democrats and PR stunts, a match made in heaven.