Shenkin, Evan Nathaniel2010-02-092010-02-092009-12https://hdl.handle.net/1794/10189viii, 120 p. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number.International carbon offset projects are framed as a cost effective, market based approach to address global warming through the cap-and-trade model of greenhouse gas emissions trading. Emission reduction projects in the Global South attempt to mitigate or "offset" pollution in the Global North by taking advantage of economic poverty in the developing world. This thesis investigates two development projects in Central America to explore the social impacts of carbon offsetting on communities. The research findings suggest that corporate support for emissions trading disproportionately benefits business interests while remaining largely unaccountable for project outcomes. This thesis argues that cap-and-trade in general and the US voluntary emissions trading market in particular are fundamentally flawed systems incapable of effectively addressing climate change and suggests sustainable alternatives to carbon offsetting.en-USCarbon offsettingThesis