Can carbon trading schemes prevent large-scale extinctions?

A flurry of global warming studies over the past few weeks has greeted the opening of the Copenhagen Summit. It remains to be seen what outcome this monumental conference will have on our approach to the climate change crisis.

But a group of researchers have published an article in the journal Science trying to influence the dialogue towards a greater focus on biodiversity conservation. The authors, most of whom are affiliated with the the Ecology Centre at the University of Queensland argue that countries should adopt a carbon-payment system that explicitly incorporates biodiversity values.

This would shift conservation priorities away from areas where substantial forest already exists - for example, the Amazon - and towards places with very high biodiversity where most forests have vanished  such as nations in Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean.

The researchers evaluated several carbon-based credit scenarios.They put out a press release on Friday with strong words pointed towards Copenhagen:

"If we're smart we could combat global warming while saving some of the most endangered wildlife on Earth. Billions of dollars will be spent on forest-carbon initiatives in the next decade, and this could translate into huge benefits for vanishing species if we focus some of the spending in places where tropical biodiversity is most imperiled."   --William Laurance, co-author and senior staff scientist at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

"Dollar for dollar, a carbon-focused approach contributes little to slowing biodiversity loss and will save far fewer species than a biodiversity-focused strategy that targets the most imperiled forests."   --Oscar Venter, lead author and doctoral candidate at the University of Queensland.

--by Rob Goldstein