Central America: To the rescue of the U.S. and Canada
Responding to a request of the U.S.-based
independent electrical power producer Applied Energy Services Inc. (AES), in 1988 the
World Resources Institute identified and evaluated forestry projects to compensate the
carbon dioxide emissions of the company's new coal-fired powerplant in Connecticut,
expected to emit about 14.1 million tonnes of carbon over its 40-year lifespan. According
to the WRI, "There were a number of reasons for pursuing such a project in a
developing country rather than in the United States", among which that
"alternatives in the United States to avoid the release of carbon dioxide or
sequester it at the source appeared to be considerably more expensive" reads the
presentation of the project in WRI's web site.
In 1989, the WRI gave its support to a
project located in GUATEMALA proposed by CARE to convert tree planted lots established
since the mid-1970s into carbon sinks. The programme had been supported by the Guatemalan
Directorate General of Forests (DIGEBOS) and the U.S. Peace Corps, with funding provided
by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The plantation of about 12,000
hectares of so-called community woodlots with pine and eucalyptus for poles and lumber is
an essential component of the project. Based on WRI's initial calculation, the CARE
project would sequester an estimated 16.3 million metric tonnes s of carbon over 40 years.
Even though presented under the guise of "community forest" promotion, the CARE
project is essentially a plantation-based project through which --surprising as it may
seem-- Guatemala would "help" the US to reduce its carbon emissions.
Also HONDURAS will probably soon become a
carbon garbage dump. In September 1999 Canada reached a deal with the Honduran authorities
to "buy" oxygen from Honduras within the framework of a "debt for
nature" swap and the Clean Development Mechanism. CIDA (Canadian International
Development Agency) will "forgive" about US$ 680,000 of Honduras' U$S 11 million
debt with Canada. In exchange, a so-called joint implementation office will be established
in Honduras to promote tree plantations and monitor forest conservation programmes in that
country. Canada will benefit by getting credit for "cutting" emissions of carbon
dioxide and other greenhouse gases. The Minister for the Environment Xiomara Gomez was
very enthusiastic with the idea since, according to her, this is a good opportunity to
obtain resources from developed countries for forest protection. Honduras is also
expecting that the U.S. and Germany will come to similar agreements on "oxygen
sales". Unluckily the Honduran authorities have not shown the same enthusiasm in
protecting the country's forests from illegal logging or combatting corruption at the
forest administration level.
Source: WRM's
bulletin Nš 37, August 2000
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