ACTION ALERT! Ancient Old-Growth Forests Make the Best Carbon Sinks
10/31/00
OVERVIEW & COMMENTARY
by Forests.org
The coming climate change meeting at the Hague, from November 13-24, is the most important event in efforts to curb global warming since Kyoto, where the Climate Change Treaty was negotiated. Rules regarding how to implement the Treaty, including emissions trading between polluters and owners of forestlands, will be developed and adopted by the parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the highest international climate body. Protection of old-growth forests is one of the most important and least appreciated methods to store and remove carbon dioxide. Yet, the emissions trading rules may create incentives to clear old-growth forests for replacement with fast-growing tree plantations. New carbon trading mechanisms, if poorly designed, will lead to the release of huge amounts of carbon from old-growth forests and their soils. The carbon sequestration abilities of commercial plantations are hypothetical and have not been conclusively demonstrated in the long-term. The Hague negotiations must ensure that protection of old growth forest ecosystems be pursued as a priority carbon sequestration strategy, that any final Kyoto agreement be free of incentives to pursue plantation forestry in ancient forest stands, and that carbon sinks not be allowed to offset government commitments to reduce source emissions. Below are two actions to take to advocate for these measures-by emailing the UNFCCC based on a new action alert by Forests.org < on the net at
http://forests.org/emailaction/oldcarbon_oct_00.htm >, and calling or writing the White House Climate Change Task Force.
If interested in Climate Change policy, please get in the habit of referring to the Climate Ark at http://www.climateark.org/ -- the premier Climate Change Portal constructed by Forests.org, Inc.
g.b.
RELAYED TEXT STARTS HERE:
ITEM #1
Ancient Old-Growth Forests Make the Best Carbon Sinks
October 31, 2000
By Forests.org, Inc.
Important new scientific studies, including a recent SCIENCE article, highlight the importance of old-growth forest ecosystems as a mechanism to address climate change, and provide a powerful new argument for protecting ancient forests. New studies indicate that old-growth continues to remove carbon even when fully mature, and that old and wild forests are better than plantations at dependably removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Huge amounts of carbon are sequestered for long periods in old-growth ecosystems-both in trees and perhaps more importantly in soils. Soils in undisturbed tropical rain forests and temperate woodlands contain enormous amounts of carbon derived from fallen leaves, twigs and buried roots that can bind to soil particles and remain in place for 1,000 years or more. When such forests are cut, the trees' roots decay and soil is disrupted, releasing the carbon dioxide. It would take centuries for newly planted trees to build up such an underground carbon reservoir.
Yet, the United States, Canada, Russia and other countries have been pressing in ongoing Kyoto negotiations occurring under the auspices of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to achieve as much as half of their greenhouse gas reductions not by reducing carbon dioxide releases at the source or maintaining existing old-growth carbon sinks, but by using "sinks" like planted forests to remove carbon dioxide. There is emerging scientific consensus that pursuit of plantation forestry as carbon sinks may in fact lead to greater carbon release--particularly if planting occurs on formerly old-growth covered landscapes. The extent of any net carbon sequestration, if any it all, is difficult if not impossible to accurately measure. It will be sadly inappropriate to reduce targets for emission reductions on the expectation that forests planted as carbon sinks will prove adequate to address looming climate change, while failing to pursue policy to maintain the current and growing stores of carbon being sequestered in existing ancient forests and their soils.
Please take a moment to use the email form below to contact the UNFCCC to request that they facilitate greater attention being given to old-growth preservation as a means to address global climate change. Demand that protection of old growth ecosystems be pursued as one priority carbon sequestration strategy, that any final climate agreement be free of incentives to pursue plantation forestry where ancient forests stand, and that carbon sinks not be allowed to offset government commitments to reduce source emissions.
Please send an email to the UNFCCC Secretariat. You can do so automatically at http://forests.org/emailaction/oldcarbon_oct_00.htm or use the following contact information and sample letter:
The Secretariat
United National Framework Convention on Climate Change P.O. Box 260124 D-53153
Bonn Germany
Email: secretariat@unfccc.int
Fax: (49-228) 815-1999
Dear UNFCCC Secretariat,
Significant new scientific findings are reemphasizing the importance of maintaining ancient forest ecosystems as a mechanism to address climate change. Old-growth forests continue to remove carbon, sequestering it for centuries in its soils, even when fully mature. Old and wild forests are better than plantations at dependably removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Success of the international effort to address climate change will depend to a large extent upon how well you integrate protection of ancient forest ecosystems into your climate change policy-making. This will require that protection of old growth forest ecosystems be pursued as a priority carbon sequestration strategy, that any final Kyoto agreement be free of incentives to pursue plantation forestry in ancient forest stands, and that carbon sinks not be allowed to offset government commitments to reduce source emissions. At this globally critical juncture, we depend upon the UNFCCC to facilitate greater attention being given to old-growth preservation as a means to address global climate change.
Additional information that formed the basis of this Action Alert, including the recent Science article, can be found at: http://forests.org/recent/2000/plnewfor.htm
ITEM #2
Reminder: Forests and Climate - Call In Tomorrow, November 1
American Lands Climate and Forests Program
October 31, 2000
Aaron Rappaport
The current U.S. proposal to use trees to soak up atmospheric CO2 under the Kyoto Protocol casts a blind eye to possible ecosystem harm. The proposal is written so that if industrial tree plantations are faster CO2 - absorbers than diverse, naturally regenerated forests then their owners will be able earn more money by selling extra "emissions reduction credits" to polluters. The Administration should instead pursue rules for climate, forests, and rivers by focusing emissions reduction efforts on reducing fossil fuel use and by protecting and restoring native forests.
The meeting in The Hague, from November 13-24, will be the most important event for efforts to curb global warming since the '97 meeting in Kyoto, where the climate change Treaty was hammered out. At this summit, rules on how to implement many aspects of the Treaty, including emissions trading between domestic polluters and the owners of forestlands will be worked out and adopted by the parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, the highest international climate body.
The rules are important: here in the U.S. they will create incentives and disincentives for the management of 500 million acres of forestland, 20% of our nation's land area. They also pertain to whether or not dam projects all over the world will go forward. The news is need not be bad. Well-written rules could create financial incentives for the protection and restoration of old growth not just in America, but also in, for instance, Russia, which contains the world's largest intact forest.
There is still time to influence the Climate summit's outcome for the better. November 1, please call David Gardiner, the Chair of the White House Global Change Task Force, at 202/395-2310 and tell him that:
1) The Kyoto Treaty must NOT encourage environmentally destructive tree plantations.
2) The Treaty should, instead, protect and restore old growth forests.
3) Business as usual forestry should absolutely not be credited as an emissions reduction.
David Gardiner's complete contact information is: David Gardiner, Chairman, White House Climate Change Task Force, 734 Jackson Place NW, Washington, DC 20503, Fax: 202/ 395-2311.
For more information, please see
http://www.americanlands.org/forestweb/global.htm or contact: - Darcy Davis, American Lands NW Climate and Forests Organizer, at darcydavis@americanlands.org or call 503/978-0132