If you have been following the news about the Climate Change talks that are going to start in Copenhagen from the 5th you might have already noticed the despair among the environmentalists and the bickering among the nations. As with all international summits  there is a huge deal of technicalities involved and some seriously complex issues are being debated At the time of writing it looks like no legally binding agreement will be reached at COP 15,though it would be foolhardy to totally give up hope. While everyone agrees in principle to reducing greenhouse gases, its the devil in the details that is most likely to sink any chances of a firm deal. Details like, by how much would emissions need to be lowered from what cut-off dates, how much investment can be made and who has to foot the bill.

But as with all other things, there is one silver lining. In the area of using forests as a emission reduction mechanism there is a broad agreement on everything but few issues. This news story explains in detail what are the issues involved but here is the short story- the REDD (Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation ) scheme is an arrangement whereby countries or communities are paid to stop cutting down forests. Carbon is thereby sequestrated, animal and plant species get a new lease of life and much needed funds are pumped into sustainable development.

So, if implemented properly this scheme can solve many problems for countries like India where the incentive to cut down forests is much more than the incentive to preserve them. However as noted in the report there is a need for strict oversight so that protected forests are not cut down again and the funds go where they are meant to go.It’s tough, but doable

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