350 reasons why carbon trading won’t work

There are many reasons to oppose carbon trading. The most important is that carbon trading will not address climate change. Rising Tide North America together with Carbon Trade Watch and the Camp for Climate Action is launching a new website, 350 Reasons. The launch date is 24 October 2009, to coincide with the International Day of Climate Action.

The point is not just that governments need to act to address climate change but that false solutions will make matters worse. Governments should not be looking for innovative ways to create loopholes for polluters or to create fortunes for carbon traders. Instead we need to dramatically reduce emissions – quickly. Carbon trading was created to avoid precisely that.

Here is what 350.reasons.org says about REDD, followed by a media advisory:

REDD, or Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation, is supposed to be a scheme by which corporations could earn carbon credits by paying countries not to cut their forests down. Exactly what REDD will be is still being negotiated – but it is most likely that REDD will end up as a subsidy for governments and companies to seize indigenous-owned land and use it for short term profit. The problems are numerous: If REDD money goes to governments, it will be to some of the most corrupt governments in the world. Without adequate third party monitoring – which is almost impossible considering the scope of the forests that would be “protected” under REDD – there is nothing to keep the governments from profiting both from REDD and still cutting down their forests. REDD would also give increased incentive to governments to seize indigenous owned land, land which over 1 billion people rely on to sustain themselves. Under some current REDD proposals, tree plantations would be considered “forest”- real forest could be cut down, replanted with tree plantations, and the company or government would still receive REDD funding. REDD could also potentially create so many new carbon credits that the price of a credit would plummet, making it absurdly cheap for polluters to buy carbon credits instead of actually reducing emissions.

Media Advisory

Climate Activists to Expose Carbon Trading Scam for “350” Global Day of Action

What: An online video report exploring 350 reasons why “carbon trading” will not work, as well as printed literature distributed at dozens of “350” events around the world. They will be available for download at www.350reasons.org.

The activities are part of the “350”, an international day of climate action expected to be one of largest days of global political action in history, with over 300 simultaneous events in more than 170 countries.
(More information on the international day of action at www.350.org).

When: October 24th, 2009.

Who: Rising Tide North America, Carbon Trade Watch, the Camp for Climate Action, the Mobilization for Climate Justice West.

Why: Domestic and international climate policy arenas are failing to protect people and planet by opting for carbon trading schemes proposed by major industrial polluters. Instead of taking scientific, tangible and democratic measures to reduce industrial sources of greenhouse gas emissions, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and many of the wealthiest countries in the world are instead choosing to mitigate impacts to corporate profits and carbon-intensive industrial growth through the marketing and offsetting of emissions.

This markets-driven approach only exacerbates current levels of climate pollution, while making it impossible for the most impacted communities to be relieved of their burden of toxic pollutants, and to receive the trillions of dollars of reparations owed them for decades of illness, exploitation and death.

In order to stabilize the global climate before billions of people around the world suffer the consequences, we need to:

a. Immediately start reducing the carbon emissions of major corporate polluters
b. Prioritize just transition and local renewable energy strategies that are democratically determined by the most impacted communities and workers
c. Stop carbon-trading regimes from swindling our economies.

Website: www.350reasons.org
Email: falsesolutions@risingtidenorthamerica.org