Jakarta Post: Climate Change and Forest-Dwelling People

Many voices are saying that the traditional subsistence economy of
the world’s forest-dwelling people is endangered by the new climate,
that forest villagers need for help in adaption to now-unavoidable
change, and that this need is largely ignored as rich nation’s try to
meet their own interests.

The news story below is focused on this issue’s place in the
international climate conference now underway in Poznan, Poland.
Lance

Jakarta Post (Jakarta, Indonesia)
December 06, 2008

Engage forest groups, conference told
Stevie Emilia, The Jakarta Post, Poznan

For forest communities, adapting to climate change is a matter of
life or death, but this aspect of the global issue tends to be
neglected, experts say.

“For many forest communities, adapting to climate change is already a
matter of survival. We need to act now to ensure a better future,”
said Frances Seymour, the director of the Bogor-based Center for
International Forestry Research (CIFOR), a leading group of forest
scientists.

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UN Climate Deal Could Pay for Forest Destruction

For Immediate Release        Friday 5 December

Joint release: Global Forest Coalition, The Wilderness Society and Global
Justice Ecology Project

UN Climate Deal Could Pay for Forest Destruction
Carbon Karma Fortune-telling Action Foretells REDD Profits

Poznan, Poland–<http://www.globalforestcoalition.org>Global Forest
Coalition, <http://www.wilderness.org.au/>The Wilderness Society,
<http://www.globaljusticeecology.org>Global Justice Ecology Project and
concerned youth highlighted the risks associated with the implementation of
Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) in a
“REDD fortune-telling” action today at the UN Climate conference here.  In
its current form, they argue, REDD could derail the Climate Convention and
undermine a post-2012 Climate agreement.

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Forests, REDD, & Posnan

So-REDD is being marketed heavily in Posnan-where Indigenous Peoples’ are largely locked out (again)…aren’t these climate parties a regular hoot?

ASW

In concept, forests can be used for carbon offset programs. However,
at the same time, getting from concept to policy and practice is
another matter, involving “difficult” choices, as a report to be
released today from climate and forest scientists makes clear.
Lance
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“But there are a range of complex issues facing the talks, such as:
the appropriate scale for implementing REDD projects; how to
incorporate forest degradation (as opposed to simply deforestation)
as part of the agreement; whether or not technology is sufficiently
advanced to measure and monitor forest-based carbon; how to guarantee
that forests conserved for carbon are not subsequently lost; and how
to ensure that the rights of forest-dwelling communities are
recognized and respected.”
———————————————

NEWS RELEASE
Center for International Forestry Research
Public release date: 5-Dec-2008

Contact: Jeff Haskins
jhaskins@burnesscommunications.com
48-510-853-540

Megan Dold
mdold@burnesscommunications.com
44-79-1754-4966

Report offers options for negotiators seeking to craft critical
accord on forests and climate change

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Noisy, Acid Oceans Increasingly Harmful to Whales

Published on Thursday, December 4, 2008 by Environmental News Service (ENS)

ROME, Italy – Oceans and seas are becoming noisier with more vessels, increased seismic surveys for oil and gas, off-shore construction and recreation, and a new generation of military sonars, an alliance of wildlife groups said today. They warn that the cacophony is intensifying threats to marine mammals that use sound to communicate, forage for food and find mates.

The groups, attending the United Nations Environment Programme’s Convention on Migratory Species conference in Rome, are urging governments and industry to adopt quieter engines for ships, tighter rules on the use of seismic surveys, and new, less intrusive sonar technologies by navies.

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