Norway is sinking hundreds of millions of dollars into cutting carbon emissions in Guyana, so as to prevent deforestation there and thus help stall climate change, reports Ariel Schwartz at Fast Company. It recognizes that climate change is a global problem: What happens in Guyana will affect Norway, so Norway should invest in climate solutions globally. Bharrat Jagdeo, the president of Guyana for twelve years until 2011, never thought much about deforestation and its links to climate change. Then the floods came, with the worst in history occurring in 2006, when floods wiped out the equivalent of 60% of Guyana’s Gross Domestic Product. With over half of the country below sea level, suddenly climate change became a pressing problem. When the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimated that deforestation is responsible for a fifth of all carbon emissions, Jagdeo realized that Guyana, overly 80% of which is forested had something to offer. The deal between Guyana and Norway, started in 2009, seems to be working. Guyana’s deforestation rate in 2011 was one of the lowest worldwide. This bilateral policy is a good model, worth spreading to other countries.
Join the swelling numbers of voters TELLING Congress they’ll vote for Clean Energy candidates here: http://signon.org/sign/we-are-the-clean-99?source=c.em.cp&r_by=487176 . This is an ongoing campaign (the next Congressional election is in 2 years!) so please, spread the word. It’s our way of telling Congress that a strong clean energy voting bloc is out there. This is how YOU can make a difference.
Why Norway is paying a South American country to not cut down its trees. As part of a landmark deal, the Scandinavian country is investing in deforestation-prevention efforts in Guyana, in the hopes that it might help slow climate change around the world. Fast Company Ariel Schwartz http://www.fastcoexist.com/1681332/why-norway-is-paying-a-south-american-country-to-not-cut-down-its-trees