“As World Steps Forward to Help Save Tropical Forests, US Retreats”
December 5, 2007
 “As World Steps Forward to Help Save Tropical Forests, US Retreats”
UN diplomats in Bali Indonesia have begun negotiations on a new and more aggressive climate change policy framework. One of the key topics being discussed is how to create incentives for developing countries to conserve their tropical forests. As 20% of global greenhouse gases, tropical deforestation is the second leading cause of climate change behind fossil fuel combustion. Most countries have significantly increased funding to save tropical forests. The World Bank at the request of the G8, is creating a new $350 million vehicle to help developing countries save forest. Australia, which a few days ago ratified the Kyoto Protocol, has committed $200 million Australian in new monies for tropical forests. Meanwhile, the United States is poised to dramatic decrease money for tropical forests.
The US Tropical Forest Conservation Act (TFCA) is the largest US pot of money set aside exclusively for helping developing countries conserve threatened tropical forests. And it is again under assault. This time the threat is dilution rather than inactivity. Although 30 million acres of tropical forests are destroyed each year, The Treasury Department, which administers the TFCA, cannot find enough places to invest forest-saving resources. The TFCA expires at the end of 2007 and is due to be re-authorized this year. At the behest of the Treasury Department, US House of Representatives passed HR 2185 in October to expand the TFCA’s mandate to conserve coral reefs. Which would be great, except the bill contains the smallest congressional authorization for saving tropical forests in its ten-year history. The amount of environmental finance is smaller and now tropical forests and coral reefs will need to “compete” for the limited funds.
We at TFG have an easy solution that will take you only a few minutes. Find out who your senator is. Write down their number, pick up the phone, and explain to your senator’s office that you don’t think call that number and politely explain that saving tropical forests is important to you. Let your senator know that coral reefs and tropical forests should not be thrown into a pit and made to fight one another for limited US funding. You can suggest improve S 2020: by double it’s funding --- from $20 million to $40 million. $40 million is less than 65 cents per US family to help save coral reefs and tropical forests.
“Saving tropical forests is one of the most important immediate solutions to combat climate change. The rest of the world gets it. The US, already sidelined by its refusal to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, continues its slide into obscurity” said Jeff Metcalfe, director of the Tropical Forest Group. “The US is ½ of one of the three branches of government away from undermining the most promising new way to fight climate change multi-laterally”.
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