In today's Nature, Jeff Tollefson describes an ambitious plan in Brazil to reduce carbon emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD). Farmers in Pará who agree to put rainforest land into conservation rather than clearing it will receive monthly payments from the Brazilian government -- and the funds to support those payments come from international donors. Brazil will receive about $114 million this year to support the project in Pará and others like it through its Amazon Fund. Norway pledged up to $1 billion until 2015.
Getting REDD right in Brazil and beyond is "totally possible and essential", says Lars Løvold, director of the Rainforest Foundation Norway in Oslo, which, along with Friends of the Earth Norway, proposed to the Norwegian government that it invest in a big forest conservation initiative. "But you need some projects to show that it works."Sounds pretty promising, if it works. Last December, WWF was skeptical:
WWF criticized Brazil's plan to reduce Amazon deforestation to 5,740 square kilometers per year as being "short on ambition and detail".
In a statement issued Wednesday, WWF said that Brazil's proposed fund for conserving the Amazon would still result in the annual loss of an area forest the size of Rhode Island.
Public Talk: Massacre in the Amazon: The Garcia Government vs Peru’s Indigenous (Thursday August 27th)
Alborada presents a public talk:
Massacre in the Amazon: The Garcia Government vs Peru’s Indigenous
On June 5, World Environment Day, Amazon Indians in Peru were massacred by the government of Alan Garcia in the latest chapter of a long war to take over common lands -- a war unleashed by the signing of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Peru and the United States.
Come and hear about the latest developments in Peru and what we in Britain can do to help Peru’s indigenous people and the wider social and environmental struggles taking place in the country.
“The Amazon struggle must continue, demanding respect for the rain forest. The Amazonian natives know that what is at stake is their own survival. We hope that the world population becomes aware that they are fighting in defence of all humankind, the Amazon jungle is the lung of the planet.”
-- Hugo Blanco (Peruvian social activist and director of ‘Lucha Indigena’ ('Indigenous Struggle'))
Speakers:
- Oscar Blanco (Son of Peruvian political figure Hugo Blanco)
- Derek Wall (Former Green Party Principal Speaker)
Thursday August 27th, 6-8pm (Talk starts at 7pm)The Exmouth Arms (Function Room), Starcross St, Euston, NW1, London (http://www.exmouth-arms.co.uk;%203/ 3 mins from Euston underground station). Free entry
::: More info: http://www.alborada.net/ / info@alborada.net / http://upsidedownworld.org/main/content/view/1910/76/
Trees are essential to our life experience - the rainforest is important to everyone in the world. This solution may not work, however I am heartened by every attempt to stop the destruction. Wishing them the best.