Oh man, you're mostly right but I gotta push back on one thing... the timing thing about trees taking decades. That's actually not quite how it works for all projects. Some forestry stuff focuses on avoiding deforestation instead of just planting new trees. Like protecting a mature rainforest that's already storing carbon right now, not waiting for saplings to grow. Those projects can have immediate impact because you're preventing emissions that would happen this year if the forest got cleared. But yeah, the permanence problem is real... I've seen studies showing something like 30% of offset projects fail to keep forests standing after 5-10 years. It's kind of infuriating honestly.

Honestly just start asking people what the core loop is. If they can't explain it without mentioning the minis first, then maybe they've got a point. I've had good luck saying "so if you took out all the plastic and replaced it with tokens, is it still the same game?" Usually shuts down the Warhammer comparison real quick. The minis in Scythe are basically nice checkers pieces, not the whole reason you're playing.