?Reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation? or REDD is a way in which rainforested countries could be compensated by the rest of the world for protecting their rainforests, rather than cutting them down.! The argument is that if the forests remain standing, they do not release carbon dioxide, so reducing the impacts of climate change for the future.! As this is something that affects us all, it seems right that the rest of the world should pay rainforested countries not to exploit their rainforests. !

It is estimated that in 2007, up to 73 million tons of CO2 were released through the destruction of forests in Papua New Guinea alone.! If the world placed a nominal value of even $5 on a ton of CO2 saved, this would amount to $365 million for the year, which far exceeds the official figure of $189 million that was made by Papua New Guinea in that year from the exporting of logs and other timber exports.

The problem is going to be getting all of the world?s nations to agree how to value a ton of CO2 and to then ask them all to contribute a fair amount to make REDD work.! Global environment conferences like those in Bali, Copenhagen and Cancun have so far failed to come up with a solution and meanwhile the forests continue to burn.