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Dickinson to Durban » Entries tagged with "REDD-Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation"

Why IS REDD important?

Why IS REDD important?

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

It’s a Tarp: Alternatives and Addendums to REDD

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

AOSIS Hopes For The Best

Claire Tighe ‘13 After a few interviews here at the Conference (COP) 17, one in particular with a member of AOSIS (Alliance for Small Island States) who hails from Palau in the Pacific Islands, I’ve gathered a bit of information on the outcomes that the AOSIS bloc is looking for here at COP: 1.) A legally-binding second five-year committment period of the Kyoto Protocol 2.) Passing of the Green Climate Fund, which will fund the small islands mitigation and adaptation efforts. These two issues are amongst the most pertinent for this particular COP. However, other “smaller” topics are also on the negotiating table. These include adaptation concerns, how to make REDD (+) work, and facilitating technology transfer. According to Ambassador Dessima of AOSIS, the bloc will not accept outcomes of the United Nations Framework Convention … Read entire article »

Filed under: Carbon Markets, Climate Change, Consumption, Environmental Justice, Environmental Politics, Featured, Key COP17 Issues, Mosaic Action, Student Research

Who knew a win-win situation could have losers?

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