Forwarded by Jane Clark at [log in to unmask] LIVE FROM THE HAGUE: All Eyes on the U.S. The U.S. disappointed environmental advocates today in the opening session of the "ministerial" portion of the Global Climate Conference in the Netherlands by continuing to embrace "business as usual" forestry to allow industrialized nations to avoid emission reductions. From our perspective at The Hague, it is clear that the U.S. must move away from "business as usual" and take a strong forest protection position if the "Conference of the Parties 6" meeting is to end this week with an environmentally positive agreement. At a briefing of U.S. activists late this afternoon the Administration's delegation at The Hague explained a proposal that they announced just a few hours earlier to limit "business as usual" credits to 1/3 of what they earlier wanted. However, all the environmental groups present said that they see the new proposal as a continued effort by the U.S. to undercut their obligation under the Kyoto Protocol by allowing the U.S. to emit more CO2 in 2010 than it did in 1990. This would seriously undermine the premise of the Kyoto Protocol: that developed nations (especially the U.S., source of 25% of greenhouse gases globally) reduce their emissions. Asked about the threat of the new rules to promote conversion of native forests to plantations, the U.S. negotiators ducked and once again refused to endorse environmental standards. Without environmental safeguards in the Kyoto rules to prevent destructive forestry activities from receiving "emission reduction units," carbon sequestration policies would encourage industrial forestry practices including clearcut logging, monoculture tree plantations, heavy chemical use, and even genetically modified trees whenever these technologies would result in faster biomass increases than naturally growing forests. Meeting with environmental activists from all over the world, including young Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth activists who built a real sandbag dike in front of the entrance to the COP 6 building to dramatize the urgent need for action, it is clear that U.S. citizens have a major obligation to move our government - this week -- to a more responsible position. Please call the White House comment line at 202/456-1414 and make the point that the U.S. must advocate real emissions reductions and real forest protection at The Hague this week. The U.S. must reject business-as-usual forestry and support environmental rules to prevent more plantations. Time is of the essence; please call today! Steve Holmer Campaign Coordinator American Lands 726 7th Street SE Washington, D.C. 20003 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - For SC email list T-and-C, send: GET TERMS-AND-CONDITIONS.CURRENT to [log in to unmask]