Rewarding loggers that first caused the damage is NOT progress. Prison is progress.

There is far too much that hangs in the balance to leave it to chance.

The Road to Copenhagen (click here)
Tree Harvester Offers to Save Indonesian Forest
...Canals — used legally and illegally — extend from surrounding rivers nearly into the peninsula’s impenetrable core. By slowly draining and drying the peat land, they are releasing carbon dioxide, contributing to making Indonesia the world’s third biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, after China and the United States....

The Indonesia government has been at the forefront of species preservation. There are innumerable species protected in that archepeligo. Indonesia has been very supportive of the Millenium Ecosystem Assessment (click title to entry - thank you).

The UN program was specifically designed to help countries at the greatest risk of ecosystem damage to protect their countries from degradation, WHILE, supplying their people with jobs and income. The problem is that there isn't enough emphasis to this assessment with the implementation mentored by QUALIFIED botanists and plant ecologists that believe in preservation and restoration of ecosystems rather than exploitation of them. The Millenium Ecosystem Assessment has been abused by CEOs that were allowed access to ecosystems in 'good faith.' There is no such thing as 'good faith' when companies want to make money at any cost.

Basically, whom is helping countries like Indonesia?

Bush or Obama?

The United Nations needs to take the bull by the horns and stop the mismanagement of ecosystems of these countries, including their fisheries. In the Sea of Thialand, the once abundant area now has a majority of squid where diversity used to exist. That is NOT effective management. Where the land degrades the waterways, seas and oceans follow. Gravity makes water run downhill. In case that wasn't obvious to the most novice observer. "Runoff" startes with 'overland flow' from rains on terra firma and add to that raw drainage from storm and sewers.

With the degradation of the peat forests in Indonesia, the sealife surrounding it and its seas that receive the runoff from this land will degrade along with the mismanagement of the land. Native species of flora and fauna need to be re-established where there is damage and the loss of precious habitat to preserve this carbon sink has to begin immediately

The United Nation has Peacekeepers. Yes? Well, now they are going to have to recognize their need in policing the ecosystems of the world, because, so long as governments fluctuate in finicky elections there will be no consistency in the preservation of these lands.

The United Nations has to push for 'enforcement' of environmental laws through an autonomous Ecosystem Peace Force that stops poaching and jails offenders. If necessary, through the World Courts, including, CEOs of companies that have caused such widespread damage and have no inkling to ever stop. Placing these lands in the hands of corporations is the ABSOLUTE WORSE idea I have ever heard. They will mismanage the lands and call it a 'better engineered carbon sink.'

I don't think so.

The meeting in Copenhagen is a chance to 'get it right.' We have at the leadership globally men and women sincerely interested in attaining the goal of reversal of Greenhouse Gases through aggressive measures that insure energy to their nations through renewable sources, alternate transporation in magnetic rail and electric cars and land preservation through laws that uphold the best integrity of ecosystems, especially those as valuable as these.

The UN Secretary General is a vital partner to the outcome of the meetings and it will be he that can make the greatest contribution by demanding vast changes to the way countries protect their lands and contribute to the well being of the home planet of future generations. It is up to the UN to lead the best efforts to bring real change and enforcement of environmental integrity at these summits.

The administration in DC is going to be the world's best opportunity to write treaties and have them ratified before another 'nut case' like Bush shows up in the American elections complaining about the 'price and size of government' and willing to 'melt down the Arctic Ocean' for the sake of oil exploitation. There is nothing SANE or MORAL about that. By all means, the meetings in Copenhagen need to be comprehensive and thorough with plenty of botanists and plant ecologist to insure the best outcome of Earth for future generations.

The Millenium Ecosystem Assessment is worthless without proper enforcement of its intent to uphold the integrity of the countries that participate without intention of corruption. If 'carbon credits' are to be purchased than it can't be with visions of 'engineered' carbon sinks on the dreamscape of the corporate world, that are smaller but pack a bigger punch.

Horsehockey.

We witnessed the 'face' of the corporate world at the end of 2008. We are better off without them. That is why Bush bailed them out with the assistance of Paulson. If it were up to the moral people of the world, the corporations wouldn't exist, but, replaced by companies run by the people that work in them with products that reflect their values.

Support Greenpeace, they understand the planet and the need to increase the quality of life of impoverished nations to bring preservation to ecosystems WITHOUT corporate or government corruption.

November 2008: (click here) Fires in a peatland consession, Kampar Peninsula, Indonesia. The Kampar Peninsula is the last large intact area of peat swamp forest in Riau.

Obama will go to Copenhagen... a week too early (click here)

...President Obama needs to be there at the same time as all the other wold leaders – December 18. This is the last day of the negotiations, when all the heads of state show up, are presented with the agreements achieved so far by their delegates, and do the high-level negotiations that lead to a final agreement.