Indonesia: WALHI Protest against Kyoto, Carbon Trade, Clean Development Mechanism

"Our Forest is not a Carbon Toilet for Developed Countries"

WALHI Protest against Carbon Trade

Dozens of WALHI activists today (23.10) went to the streets in the capital city of Bali, Denpasar, the Indonesian online news Tempo Interaktif says (at 13:22 West Indonesian Time). The activists reject the carbon trade mechanism which will be on the table at the climate conference COP13 in December in Bali. WALHI Bali believes the mechanism only to be a trap for developing countries.

There was a street theater, and some spanners, reading "Our Forest not for Sale" and "Our Forest is not a Carbon Toilet for Developed Countries".

WALHI Bali Coordinator Sri Widihiyanti says, developed countries should be pressured to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. "In reality, the US and Australia are against the reduction, rather they offer trade."

Without any commitment, Sri says, Carbon Trade will not contribute to reduce global warming, because 85% of all emissions come from developed countries.

The Carbon Trading mechanism only will harm indigenous peoples because their land tenure rights will be looted. New conflicts with the government will evolve, and on the other side, the trade will create a new field for corruption.

WALHI Bali calls to the Indonesian government as the host of the climate conference to reject the mechanism and to re-negotiate other steps against climate change.

WALHI regrets, according to Sri, if the GoI continues to sell Indonesia's 91 Million hectares of tropical forest as carbon sinks for 5-20 US$ only. "This is nothing compared to ecological disasters which already happened and will again happen. Developed countries should give compensation for all these disasters."

(This is rather expensive compared to the deals Barrick Gold Corporations makes: In Chile, Precious Lands Often Go for a Pittance - Barrick Gold Corporation Pays $19 Dollars for 20,000 Acres )

Here is the full article.