Palm oil could scuttle forest carbon plan: experts

[Coventina]

Source: Reuters

NUSA DUA (Reuters) - Carbon credits derived from a fledgling forest conservation scheme for developing nations will struggle to compete with palm oil as an investment, industry advisers and conservationists said on Friday.

A U.N.-backed scheme called reduced emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD) allows developing countries to raise potentially billions of dollars in carbon credits in exchange for conserving and rehabilitating forests.

However, profits from palm oil plantations could, in some cases, out-compete revenue from selling REDD credits, said Joe Leitmann, the World Bank's environment coordinator for Indonesia.

"The opportunity costs we have to overcome in order for REDD to work can almost all be overcome, except for oil palm grown on mineral soil. That will be so profitable and so difficult to beat," he said, speaking at a forestry conference on the Indonesian island of Bali.



Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-GreenBusiness/idUSTRE54S29920090529

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Please try to avoid buying products made with palm oil. Many species of wildlife will thank you!

[hunter]

1. Biofuel made from palm oil is a nightmare.

You might as well grind up the entire forest, wildlife and all, and burn it in a power plant.

Toss another Orangutan into the furnace, mate...

:(

[Dogmudgeon]

2. Of coruse we'll use it

It will be marketed as being "Green" and advertised with pictures of children, birds, butterflies, and windmills.

"Genuine Organic GREEN Palm Oil! Buy 100 gallons and we'll donate a DOLLAR to Poor Suffering Aboriginal People and Cool Endangered Wildlife, Inc.!"

--d!