Oregonian: International carbon offsets, popular with lawmakers as a way to compensate for U.S. polluters, are a flawed — and sometimes fictitious — weapon to combat climate change, according to a report this week by an international environmental group. In “Dangerous Distraction,” Friends of the Earth argues against offsets as a centerpiece of energy policy. The practice gives a false sense of security, the group says, and lets U.S. companies and governments go on producing greenhouse …