There are certain programs that would get much needed funding through carbon offsets. Things like paying indigenous farmers in rainforest countries to not cut down more forest and to take care of the existing rainforest would be a good carbon offset. If say company 'x' produces 80,000 tons of carbon dioxide and pays 200 Amazonian farmers to keep their land in rainforest, thereby sucking up and keeping 100,000 tons of cabon dioxide, that would be a good deal. It also would pay for things like biochar (www.biochar.org) so that these same small farmers can have the capital funds for better practices and the needed help to get it going.

Its just a matter of how they are charged and where they go. Agreed though that all these companies need to take responsibility for their carbon emissions, but charging them for it now will make them want to cut carbon emissions (and thereby increase their bottom line) before too long. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the expense of waste on the budget should be addressed.