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The 300-350 Show: Forests and Biofuels

Climate Radio | 12.12.2008 12:31 | Climate Chaos | Ecology | World

We continue our coverage of this year’s UN Climate Change Talks in Poznan Poland with a look at the big issue on the table – how to reduce emissions from deforestation. We look at why carbon trading is not the answer and why new EU targets for biofuels will increase deforestation.

- mp3 26M


We continue our coverage of the UN Climate Talks in Poznan, Poland where the big issue on the table is "how to reduce emissions from deforestation"? The big push from investors is to incorporate forests into the carbon markets, but this approach is riddled with problems. Friends of the Earth International has warned that this would "create the climate regime's biggest ever loophole." We speak to Miguel Lovera, chair of the Global Forest Coalition about his concerns and his proposals for an alternative way forward.

Meanwhile in Brussels, European country delegates have been agreeing new targets for biofuels for road transport. This will increase deforestation and emissions from other changes in land use. We speak to Robert Bailey of Oxfam International and ask why this disaster has been allowed to happen.

Forest Carbon Trading Exposed
 http://www.foei.org/en/media/archive/2008/forest-carbon-trading-exposed

EU Risks 'Climate Time Bomb' on Biofuels
 http://www.foeeurope.org/press/2008/Nov26_EU_risks_climate_time_bomb_on_biofuels.html

Another Inconvenient Truth - Biofuels, Poverty and Climate Change
 http://www.oxfam.org.uk/resources/policy/climate_change/downloads/bp114_inconvenient_truth.pdf

The True Cost of Biofuels
 http://www.nature.org/initiatives/climatechange/features/art23819.html

FOLLOW PROGRESS OF THE UN CLIMATE TALKS
Friends of the Earth Europe "How to Assess the Poznan Outcome"
www.foei.org/en/media/archive/2008/un-climate-talks-clash-on-climate-goal
Climate Action Network's daily "Eco" newsletter
www.climatenetwork.org/home-page-content-panel/eco
Daily summary of proceedings in the "Earth Negotiations Bulletin"
www.iisd.ca/climate/cop14
UN Climate Talks (UNFCCC) website includes all formal papers plus webcasts of meetings, press conferences and side events
 http://unfccc.int

The 300-350 Show is named after what is now believed to the safe level in parts per million (ppm) of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. This finding is based on the work of James Hansen and his team in a paper titled "Target Atmospheric CO2: Where Should Humanity Aim" available at  http://arxiv.org/abs/0804.1126.

These findings and their implications for the UK are explored in an accessible way in the newly published "Climate Safety" report which is downloadable from  http://climatesafety.org You can also watch James Hansen giving evidence to the House of Commons Environment Audit Committee here: www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/VideoPlayer.aspx?meetingId=2908

Visit the complete Climate Radio archive at:  http://climateradio.co.uk

Climate Radio
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