Page 333 - Environment: The Science Behind the Stories

than oil palm plantations, these land swaps can reduce Indone-
sia’s greenhouse gas emissions and qualify for credit via carbon
offsets (p. 531).
Carbon offsets are central to emerging international plans
to curb deforestation and climate change. Forest loss accounts
for at least 12% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions—
nearly as much as all the world’s vehicles emit—yet the Kyoto
Protocol (p. 528) did not address it. Thus, at recent international
ASIA Pacific climate conferences (pp. 528–529), negotiators have outlined
Ocean a program called Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and
Forest Degradation (REDD), whereby wealthy industrialized
nations pay poorer developing nations to conserve forest. Under
Indian AUSTRALIA this plan, poor nations gain income while rich nations receive
Ocean carbon credits to offset their emissions in an international cap-
and-trade system (pp. 201, 530–531). Although the REDD plan
has not been formally agreed to, leaders of rich nations have
proposed to transfer $100 billion per year to poor nations by
2020, and much of this could end up going toward REDD.
The small South American nation of Guyana—poor finan-
cially but rich in forests—has taken a leading role in interna-
tional discussions of REDD. Guyana’s president Bharrat Jagdeo
in 2008 commissioned the consulting firm McKinsey and Com-
1950 2010 pany to calculate the amount of money his nation would make if
it cut down its forests for agriculture. The figure came to $580
FIGURE 12.8 Oil palm plantations are replacing primary million per year over 25 years. In a free market under purely
forest across Southeast Asia and Indonesia. Forest clearing financial considerations, this is the amount that wealthy nations
for plantations promotes further development, illegal logging, and “should” pay Guyana to forego cutting its forest. Guyana subse-
forest degradation. Since 1950, the immense island of Borneo quently forged a deal with Norway in which Norway is paying
(maps at bottom) has lost most of its forest. Data from Radday, M., Guyana for conserving its forest—up to $250 million in total by
WWF-Germany, 2007. Designed by Hugo Ahlenius, UNEP/GRID-Arendal. 2015, depending on Guyana’s progress in reducing forest loss.
Extent of deforestation in Borneo 1950–2001, and projection towards
2020. http://maps.grida.no/go/graphic/extent-of-deforestation-in-borneo- WEIGHING THE ISSUES
1950–2005-and-projection-towards-2020.
PAYING CASH TO CONSERVE FORESTS Some critics say
Guyana’s suggestion that rich nations pay it to stop cutting
Solutions are emerging forest is a kind of blackmail. But one British tourism operator in
Guyana says, “Guyana is a small, impoverished country that’s
New solutions are being proposed to address deforestation in trying to develop itself. If the Western world isn’t going to pro-
developing nations. Some conservation proponents are pursuing tect the rainforest and start coughing up money to countries
community-based conservation projects (p. 320) that empower like Guyana, then [those countries] are going to have to start
local people to act as stewards of their forest resources. In using their resources. Just like England did for thousands of
other cases, conservation organizations are buying concessions years, and just like the States is doing and Canada is doing.
and using them to preserve forest rather than to cut it down. You can’t be hypocrites about it.” What do you think? Is the
In such conservation concessions, the nation receives money REDD program a type of blackmail, or is it a fair and just way
and keeps its natural resources intact. The South American of curbing climate change? Do you feel such a program would
nation of Surinam entered into such an agreement with the be effective? Why or why not?
nongovernmental organization Conservation International and
virtually halted logging while gaining $15 million.
In Indonesia, NewPage Corporation, the supplier of this
textbook’s paper, is funding a project called POTICO (Palm Oil, Forest Management
Timber and Carbon Offsets) that aims to reduce deforestation
and illegal logging. In this project, the nonprofit World Our demand for forest resources and amenities is rising, so we
Resources Institute (WRI) is working with palm oil companies need to take care in managing forests. Foresters are profes-
that own concessions to clear primary rainforest and is steering sionals who manage forests through the practice of forestry.
them instead toward land that is already logged and degraded. Foresters must balance our society’s demand for forest prod-
WRI will then protect the forests that were slated for conversion ucts against the central importance of forests as ecosystems.
or allow the forests to become certified to the FSC forest man- Today, sustainable forest management practices are spreading
agement standard. WRI and NewPage hope this will encour- as informed consumers demand sustainably produced prod-
age oil palm plantations to become sustainable while preserving ucts. Just as your textbook uses FSC-certified paper from sus-
332 primary rainforest. Because primary forest stores more carbon tainably managed forests, more and more paper, lumber, and

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