sam pollan | Dickinson to Durban

Why IS REDD important?

December 7th, 2011 | 2 Comments

By Sam Pollan, ‘14 I asked this question twice today. First, I asked this to IPCC chairman Dr. Pachauri over breakfast and later over lunch with USAID’s climate change head, Bill Breed. It has come forward as one of the primary topics of discussion in the past few COPs, but again I ask: why is REDD so important in these negotiations. The answer is quite a bit more complex than the question but basically it comes … Read entire article »

Filed under: Key COP17 Issues

What Did You Do This Weekend?

December 5th, 2011 | 1 Comment

By Sam Pollan, ’14 Whatever it was, it probably was not as cool as our trip to Hluhluwe Game Reserve and St. Lucia Wetlands Park. The three hour bus ride out of Durban brought us to one of the coolest experiences I have ever had. We saw giraffes, elephants, rhinos, zebras, hyenas, hippos, impala, and warthogs not to mention the countless birds, being woken up by monkeys, and driving within arms reach of a group of … Read entire article »

Filed under: Climate Change

It’s a Tarp: Alternatives and Addendums to REDD

December 1st, 2011 | 2 Comments

By Sam Pollan, ’14 In my last post I discussed the shift of REDD from a watertight solution to a hole-ridden tarp. Emissions from deforestation related activities are a huge contributor to climate change and it only makes sense that they should be one of the primary issues addressed. This is especially true when the apparent solution is as simple as to stop cutting down trees. Unfortunately, this has more than a few social ramifications. While REDD has the potential for serious climate mitigation, I think it is also important to look at ways to address and correct problems in the current system as well as alternatives that can be done outside of REDD involving carbon sequestration through plants. Corruption is and land tenure are two troubling areas in this discussion. Yesterday I discussed “carbon cowboys” and the … Read entire article »

Filed under: Key COP17 Issues

Who knew a win-win situation could have losers?

November 30th, 2011 | Add a Comment

By Sam Pollan, ‘14 REDD, or Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation, has been a major theme for several years in international negotiations. On the surface, REDD appears to be a very straightforward, practical method for climate change mitigation. After the first full day of the Conference, it appeared that this was the case. I interviewed Dr. Glenn Bush of the Woods Hole Research Center. Dr. Bush is an environmental economist who is examining economic and equity issues associated with REDD projects. When asked about the possibility of opposition to REDD in negotiations, he said that REDD is essentially a win-win situation and should see significant progress during the coming weeks. A separate interview with World Agroforestry Centre Head of Communications Paul Stapleton reaffirmed the anticipated success of REDD deliberations. In … Read entire article »

Filed under: Climate Change, Key COP17 Issues