Paying money for environmental projects to offset your carbon emissions may sound like a good idea.  But according to a recent report in the Christian Science Monitor, many carbon offsets have merely become a multi-million dollar fraud with little regulation and even less Green benefits.  One of the most prominent examples involves the Vatican, which was recently declared to be the first “carbon neutral sovereign state” because it was paying for a forest to be planted in Hungary to offset its emissions.  But not a single tree has yet been planted, and the company involved merely used the publicity to sell more offsets.  With major companies like Nike now abandoning carbon offsets as untrustworthy, it seems this global warming fad may be nothing but hot air.