Kohlenstoff

The Carbon Hunters was reported by Mark Schapiro, produced by Andres Cediel & co-produced by Daniela Broitman.

STORY SYNOPSIS
In a remote corner of Brazil's Atlantic coast, they say time is a fiction. This ancient forest is seemingly unspoiled by modern life -- beyond the reach of men, machines, and markets.

But a closer look reveals something very different happening here.

The international market for AAU carbon allowances is drying up, according to a leading carbon analyst. The trade in government-level Kyoto carbon credits is winding down after numerous sales from eastern European nations holding surpluses to Japan, Norway and EU nations to help them meet their Kyoto targets.

Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga has  said the country is keen to partner with investment bankers to promote trading in carbon markets and  ensure the rehabilitation of the Mau and other threatened forests in the country.

For thousands of years, we have been planting and growing trees without difficulty. It’s simple, and forest carbon business strategy can be, too. In fact, it’s core to what I’m trying to teach the MBA/MS students in my course at the Erb Institute this semester: If the world’s best available technology for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is employing the natural photosynthetic capacity of natural forest management, we can too.

But in many ways, we are all unable to see the forests for the trees.