Bolivian Forests to Offset Greenhouse Gases
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Forest Networking a Project of Ecological Enterprises
http://forests.org/
12/9/96
OVERVIEW & SOURCE by EE
In a highly interesting international project, Bolivia is to be
compensated for rainforest protection on the basis of the forest's
ability to mitigate global emissions of greenhouse gases. This move
is worthy of support for a number of reasons. It recognizes the
necessity of large transfers of resources, in this case financial but
also technical, which will be necessary to bolster attempts to
conserve and manage rainforests and adjacent lands. This plan also
recognizes the links between various ecological systems and the
environmental problems that each face. As a word of caution, it would
be foolish to think that carbon emissions can trend upwards
indefinitely because of forests carbon sequestration. Nonetheless,
this seems to be an innovative effort to reduce atmospheric carbon
while making the resources necessary for specific forest conservation
to occur. The following photocopy comes from PR Newswire.
Vice President Gore Announces Approval of International Project to
Protect Bolivian Rain Forest and Offset Greenhouse Gases;
American Electric Power and The Nature Conservancy Partner With
Bolivian NGO on Carbon Sequestration Project
SANTA CRUZ, Bolivia, Dec. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Vice President Al Gore
will join Bolivian President Gonzolo Sanchez de Lozada today to
announce U.S. and Bolivian government approval of an international
effort to mitigate global emissions of greenhouse gases by protecting
2.2 million acres of endangered tropical rain forest and promoting
sustainable development in and around Noel Kempff Mercado National
Park in Santa Cruz, Bolivia.
American Electric Power (AEP) has joined forces with The Nature
Conservancy (TNC) and Fundacion Amigos de la Naturaleza (FAN) to
develop the Noel Kempff Mercado Climate Action Project with the goal
of simultaneously protecting a large tract of rain forest and
mitigating global greenhouse gas emissions -- a goal outlined in the
1992 Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC) developed during
the Rio Earth Summit.
Under the terms of the FCCC, the U.S. and more than 150 other
countries committed to balancing greenhouse gas emissions. Forests
act as a "sink" for greenhouse gases and experts project that
protection of these 2.2 million acres may offset as much as 14.5
million metric tons of carbon (C02) over 30 years. A portion of these
offsets will be shared by Bolivia with the project's investors.
The activities of this project will take place under the U.S.
Initiative on Joint Implementation, which supports pilot conservation
projects between U.S. companies and other organizations in other
countries.
"This breakthrough agreement offers a compelling model for achieving
our international environmental goals," said Vice President Gore. "I
want to salute the Bolivians, The Nature Conservancy and AEP for
bringing about this victory for our common natural heritage. This
will put us another step closer toward developing innovative
mechanisms to combat the potential threats of global warming."
A similar carbon sequestration project is underway in Belize, but this
is the first project of its kind in South America. "This is the type
of project I have envisioned since the beginning of my term: a
sustainable development project that provides for the conservation of
natural resources without limiting the development of our country, but
rather improving our quality of life and opening new and promising
opportunities for our people. This is a novel solution to an old
problem," said President Sanchez de Lozada.
The project which will continue for 30 years, calls for the long-term
protection of Noel Kempff Mercado National Park by: expanding the
park's boundaries; providing technical assistance to area logging
firms on low-impact logging practices; establishing a genetic
resources and ornamental plant and flower venture; and supporting an
eco-tourism program that will provide income to the park while
improving the standard of living for local communities.
An investment of $8.78 million will be made in the project. In
addition to providing funding for the development of the proposal, AEP
plans to raise about $7 million by selling shares in the project to
other U.S. companies. The Nature Conservancy will provide financial,
management, and technical support for the project, and FAN will
implement the project and provide additional financial support.
"AEP's partnership with TNC and FAN represents an extension of our
ongoing efforts to find innovative, cost-effective ways to mitigate
greenhouse gas emissions," said Dr. E. Linn Draper, Jr., AEP chairman,
president and CEO. "AEP is proud to be part of this historic endeavor,
and we are confident this project will help demonstrate the viability
of joint implementation strategies to mitigate greenhouse gas
emissions."
"Lots of projects are described as 'win-win,' but this really does
benefit all parties involved," Watson said. "It will help Bolivia
achieve its economic and sustainable development goals; provides AEP
with low-cost mechanisms for reaching its environmental goals; and for
the Conservancy, it demonstrates an exciting new technique for
conserving living natural resources while helping to reach global
goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions."
"This climate action project represents the crowning achievement of
FAN's efforts to assure that the area's important ecosystems are
represented within the park's boundaries are adequately protected.
Additionally, this project provides for the participation of the local
communities in such a way as to concretely support the improvement of
their quality of life. The project's financial mechanisms make
possible and viable the cost-effective mitigation of greenhouse
gases," said FAN's executive director, Hermes Justiniano.
Noel Kempff Mercado National Park is located in the extreme northeast
of the Department of Santa Cruz, bordering Brazil. The park is home
to as many as 700 bird species and many mammal species, including the
South American tapir, the jaguar, spider monkey, howler monkey, giant
anteater, and giant armadillo. The park's expansion area is
threatened by poaching, logging, and unplanned conversion to slash-
and-burn agriculture.
FAN is a private, non-profit organization based in Santa Cruz,
Bolivia, that has assisted the National Department of Conservation of
Biodiversity (DCNB), under the Bolivian Ministry of Sustainable
Development and Environment, with the protection and management of
Noel Kempff Mercado and Amboro National Parks.
The Nature Conservancy is an international, non-profit organization
that protects plants, animals, and natural communities by protecting
the lands and waters they need to survive. Working with partners, the
Conservancy has helped protect nearly 10 million acres in the United
States, and more than 57 million acres in Latin America, the
Caribbean, and the Asia/Pacific region.
Based in Columbus, Ohio, AEP is one of the United States' largest
investor-owned utilities and provides electric energy to 7 million
people in Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee,
and Kentucky. Wholly-owned subsidiaries of AEP provide power
engineering, consulting and management services throughout the world.
CONTACT: Laura Viani, 703-841-8743, or Maria Naehu, 703-841-4220, both
of The Nature Conservancy; or Tanya Madison of AEP, 614-223-1656, or
pager, 888-935-7846
This document is a PHOTOCOPY for educational and personal use only.
Recipients should seek permission from the source for reprinting. All
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responsibility for verifying all information rests with the reader. Check
out our Gaia Forest Conservation Archives at URL= http://forests.org/
Networked by:
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Email (best way to contact)-> grbarry@students.wisc.edu
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