Carbon trading is not the solution to the climate change crises

There is a universal agreement on the problem of climate change (even though there are still scepticism by a few on the cause of the problem). Excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is the major cause. We (as humans) need to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide we push into the atmosphere and design solutions to capture the excess already in the system. But is carbon offsetting the solution? Carbon off-setting can be explained simply as polluting (continuing to emit carbon in mostly the Global North) and planting trees in another place in the Global South (to capture this carbon that is emitted). With this arrangement industries in the Global North can continue to increase production and expand and increase consumerism while they buy the credit for this pollution in the Global South (using their forests as collateral). Carbon trading as it is called has potential to displace several thousands of local people in tropical countries increasing land grabbing and further entrenching poverty. This is another attempt by "carbon cowboys" to commodify forests and trade it for their selfish, parochial interests. This is a bad solution to the problem (as I also explained to David Shukman of the BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8139351.stm). Tropical countries need to be fully compensated (and here I mean ensuring that there is no elite capture in the tropical countries) for keeping their forests and using it in a sustainable manner that improves their livelihoods. This means that there is "wise use of forests and sustainable forestry practices" and NOT "no use" of forests. The public, civil society organizations must rise up against attempts by the World Bank and the likes to go that dangerous roading of carbon trading.