Preserving Brazil's Tropical Forest Through Emissions Trading

Resumo

Atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that are produced by human activity have grown rapidly since the beglnning of this century. Unless emissions of these gases are controlled we could face sudden and rapid cllmate changes including an increase in temperature and changes in weather patterns. These changes, in turn, would bring about sea level rise, flooding of low lying areas and destruction of manmade and natural systems. Agriculture could be disrupted and shift geographically. Other effects will include destruction of habitat and of specles that cannot adapt quickly enough, stress on water resources and economic disruption. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCCI, agroup of scientists estabhshed by the United Nations Environmental Programme and the World Meteorological Organization to study the problem, indicated in a recent report that emissions must be reduced in order to avoid serious consequences 2 . Negotiations are already underway to conslder a climate convention at the United Nations meeting on Environment and Development to be held in Brazil in 1992.