COP15 News - it's not good!

U.S. Undermining Effort to Curb Deforestation

COP15 negotiations on a text aimed at curbing deforestation are quickly unraveling, according to several conservation and indigenous rights organizations. These groups are calling a recently released draft text on REDD – Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation – a major step backwards.


Several people I've spoken with today put the blame squarely at the feet of the U.S. delegation.



U.S. negotiators have successfully pushed for the removal of language that would ensure that financing from developed countries isn't used to convert existing forests to palm oil or bio fuels plantations in poor and developing ones.



Simona Lovera of GFC told me: "Basically the trees that Barack Obama is talking about planting are meant to fuel U.S. cars."

Let's hope we start walking the talk that we heard during the election. Let us hope we look past our deep wallets and look to Mother Earth and all her citizens. Let us hope we begin striving for climate stability and economic justice.