Emissary Credit Card Would Track Carbon Footprint

Green and Red credit card options may turn out to be the tip of the ethical electronic purchasing ice burg. Imagine if each time you bought something, a message about its planetary impact flashed across a screen similar to the one where you enter your ATM PIN? The screen would recommend alternate products to high polluting choices. If you were to exceed your use of "carbon points" you would face a financial penalty, but could sell a surplus back to the bank. These are all aspects of UK-based Design Stream's not yet technologically viable Emissary Credit Card Concept.

Though an interesting idea on its own, the pairing with U.K. Environment Secretary David Milliband's suggestion that such consumer-targeted initiatives could serve as an alternative to greenhouse emissions taxes raises questions. How much responsibility lies at the hands of consumers vs. companies? :: Design Stream Emissary Credit Card Concept via C-Net