It has long been considered a conspiracy theory that we are headed for carbon passports. This is basically technology that tracks much of what we do, purchase and consume to form a carbon credit score. It is not mere conspiracy theory as various variants are being seriously proposed.
How Carbon Passports, Social Credit, and a Digital ID for Every Product Are Set To Combine
Proposals are advancing in the EU to add digital IDs or tags to all physical products to make it easier to implement tracking of all purchases in the service of carbon footprint or credit score tracking. This is another blatant move to track everything we do. Some variants of carbon credit wallet proposals include provisions to force behavior based on carbon credit score and to punish “bad” scores.
All of this on a questionable model of the scope of the purported problem in the first place and with very little likely input on human generated CO2 or the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. And what of the effect on human society of such loss of privacy and control by others?
The concept of “carbon passports,” proposed as a measure to combat climate change, has, for a while now, raised significant concerns regarding civil liberties. These passports are designed to track an individual’s carbon footprint, including travel, energy consumption, and lifestyle choices. While their intention is to encourage environmentally friendly behaviors, they present a substantial threat to personal privacy by enabling continuous monitoring of personal activities.
Nothing to worry about here right? Encourage? Since when does government get to track and force behavior from human beings?
Another concern is the centralization of power in the hands of entities controlling the carbon data. This centralization could lead to a slippery slope where tools designed for climate control evolve into instruments of more oppressive surveillance and control. The balance between addressing environmental concerns and maintaining civil liberties is delicate and crucial.
Of course some of us think this surveillance and control is the point.
As part of the push towards carbon passports, a new idea – tying a form of digital ID to all products is also being pushed. It makes the introduction of carbon social credit scores easier to implement.
As part of the push towards carbon passports, a new idea – tying a form of digital ID to all products is also being pushed. It makes the introduction of carbon social credit scores easier to implement.