Jan 5, 2011
Something will have gone out of us as a people
if we ever let the remaining wilderness be destroyed;
if we permit the last virgin forests to be turned into
comic books and plastic cigarette cases;
if we drive the few remaining members of the wild species
into zoos or to extinction;
if we pollute the last clear air and dirty the last clean streams
and push our paved roads through the last of the silence,
so that never again will Americans be free in their own country
from the noise, the exhausts, the stinks of human and automotive waste.
Wallace Stegner, 1960
We recently spent one week (December, 2010) at the wildlife sanctuaries of Kabini, Bandipur and Madumalai and were shocked to note the change in climate and weather patterns affecting wildlife populations. This has been our third trip in just one year. The hundreds of elephants and bisons that we earlier saw, were nowhere in sight. So also the population of the four deer, Sambar, Barking deer Mouse deer, and spotted deer.
This fragile hot spot a vital part of the Nilgiri Biosphere is grabbing International headlines because it harbors rare and threatened flora and fauna. The wildlife guards, who risk their lives to protect wildlife from poaching, face an even greater danger. The alarming rate of deforestation, resulting in thousands of prized endangered trees being felled for timber with vast stretches of empty forest has left a permanent scar on nature. Amidst this gloom, is a glimmer of hope? The good news is that; all this could change if the global community on climate change agrees to back a U.N. plan to preserve the worlds forests and wildlife by allowing owners to trade the carbon stored in endangered forests on condition the trees are not felled. India stands to gain in the race for carbon credits because of the vast expanse of the Western Ghat forests which can earn the Country carbon credits which in turn can be used to develop existing forests and create virgin forests. The Indian government has approved more than 1,400 projects as part of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) that could attract around $6 billion (Rs 28,000 crore) into the country by 2012 through sale of Certified Emission Reduction (CER) certificates. The overall carbon market runs into billions of dollars and is predicted to be the world’s biggest commodity market in a decade or so.
CURRENT STATUS:
• India occupies only 2.4% of the world’s total geographical area and is known to possess 9% of the global biodiversity.
• India ranks 10th in terms of the number of species amongst the biodiversity rich countries.
• In terms of threatened mammalian species India occupies third position.
• India occupies the 6th position with respect to amphibian species , 7th position in terms of bird species and 9th position in terms of
mammalian species
The main message of this article is two fold.
1. To help readers of Daiji world recognize the Ways and means of protecting the Western Ghat forests by the mechanism of carbon trading.
2. To simplify the complexities of carbon trading so that the common citizen understands the implications of carbon trading and their usefulness.
ROLE OF FORESTS AS CARBON SINK:
It is a fact that over eighty percent of the forests that originally covered the earth has been cleared, fragmented, or otherwise degraded. In the past century alone, deforestation has contributed to a 30 % rise in atmospheric build up of carbon dioxide, resulting in large scale extinctions of both plant and animal life.
To begin with; the world’s forests and oceans are natural regulators of greenhouse gases. Forests play a pivotal role in acting as SINKS, meaning they absorb carbon dioxide. The International Community has tackled climate change and global warming by using Carbon sinks to soak up carbon dioxide. This can be achieved by bringing in more forest cover and planting of trees in degraded waste lands through a mechanism of carbon credits. Forests efficiently reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere when they grow. The carbon is used to build new wood and the oxygen is released back into the air. In this way forests bring about climate stabilization.
UNDERSTANDING CARBON CREDITS: Carbon Credits are part of a tradable permit scheme. They provide a way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by giving them a monetary value. A credit gives the owner the right to emit one tone of carbon dioxide -One tone of CO2- should be equivalent to one carbon credit. Credits represent the right to emit a specific amount of greenhouse gases. Credits can be exchanged between businesses or bought and sold in the international market at the current market price. It is a simple, non-compulsory way to counteract the greenhouse gasses that contribute to climate change and global warming. Carbon credits create a market for reducing greenhouse emissions by giving a monetary value to the cost of polluting the air.
The Carbon Credit is the new currency and each carbon credit represents one tone of carbon dioxide either removed from the atmosphere or saved from being emitted. Carbon credits are also called emission permit. Carbon credits are certificates awarded to countries that are successful in reducing emissions of greenhouse gases. Carbon credits are generated as the result of an additional carbon project. For example, if an environmentalist group plants enough trees to reduce emissions by one ton, the group will be awarded a credit. If a steel producer has an emissions quota of 10 tons, but is expecting to produce 11 tons, it could purchase this carbon credit from the environmental group. The carbon credit system looks to reduce emissions by having countries honor their emission quotas and offer incentives for being below them.
Carbon credits can be created in many ways but there are two broad types:
1. Sequestration (capturing or retaining carbon dioxide from the atmosphere) such as afforestation and reforestation activities.
2. Carbon Dioxide Saving Projects such as use of renewable energies (Solar heating, solar lighting, hydro and geothermal energy plants)
However, in our personal opinion, this idea is flawed and is not a valid approach because developed countries abuse the environment and make less developed or developing countries pay for their abuse by buying carbon credits. In simple terms Industrialized countries, instead of moving ahead with drastic reductions in environmental pollution are buying up carbon credits from developing countries (Countries having a vast forest cover ) to build mega industries with high carbon economies.
THE CLEAN DEVELOPMENT MECHANISM (CDM):
The CDM is part of the Kyoto Protocol and has the mandate to allow countries or Industries who have signed up to emission reduction targets to offset rather than reduce their emissions.
Generally, the CDM process works such that the polluter buys the right to continue to emit above the limit that is set by the Kyoto Protocol.
NEED FOR CARBON CREDITS:
The burning of fossil fuel has resulted in exceptional levels of greenhouse gases. The number of automobiles plying on the road is increasing by the millions, so also the number of aircraft. Many a times aircarfts fly half empty but the pollution they leave behind is far too great. Green house gas emissions (GHG) in the form of methane, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, sulphur dioxide adversely affect the global climate by destroying the ozone layer, leading to global warming. Pollution from industries and allied activities can be regulated by forests to some extent. Forestry in developing countries delivers the largest mitigation potential of green house gases.
EXISTENCE OF CARBON CREDITS:
The Kyoto Protocol (Feb.2005) created a legally binding emission target in which 169 Countries were stake holders. It is a two way concept where by Countries can directly reduce emissions with cleaner or greener technologies or absorb emissions by growing forests.
TRADING OF CARBON CREDITS:
The implications of trading carbon credits significantly enhance the chances of protecting forests in developing countries.
VALUE OF CARBON CREDITS:
Carbon credits significantly reduce greenhouse gases by earmarking a monetary value to the cost of polluting the atmosphere. More importantly, it has the potential of bringing together a number of underdeveloped Countries to participate in International efforts to deal with climate change. The greatest value that we foresee for carbon credits is the way in which it will benefit the rural poor in combating climate change.
We would like to record our deep appreciation to Mr. Antony Rasquinha, (Managing Director, and ELECTROPNEUMATICS & HYDRAULICS (I) PVT. LTD. Pune.) For planning, sponsoring and accompanying us on the trip. Mr. A. Rasquinha is a friend of nature and devotes his leisure time for the conservation of wild life.
Dr Anand & Geeta Pereira - Archives
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