Comment Log Display

For California to meaningfully address global climate change, it is
critical for the state to support the protection of tropical
forests. As a California resident, I support California using the
state's global influence to protect tropical forests through
endorsement of the Tropical Forest Standard. 

Cutting and burning tropical forests like the Amazon threatens
their unique animals, plants and millions of people who depend on
them to survive. Deforestation also contributes more greenhouse gas
emissions than all the cars, trucks, and ships in the world every
single year - stopping it is a critical step to avoiding dangerous
global warming and meeting the goals of the Paris climate
agreement. 

California's proposed Standard for rainforest credits would create
incentives to protect tropical forests -- whole forest landscapes,
across entire states or nations. It would also require that
programs producing rainforest credits consult and collaborate with
indigenous and other traditional communities who use and safeguard
forests. And that their communities are partners who benefit from
these programs. The money generated from the sale of the credits
directly benefits the programs that are protecting forests,
reducing emissions and creating sustainable indigenous livelihoods
that are in harmony with and strengthen their cultural traditions.


The world must address the loss of tropical forests to stop climate
change. Now is the time for California to directly promote the
reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from the cutting and burning
of tropical forests.  We can't save the climate without tropical
forests. The California Air Resources Board should endorse the
California Tropical Forest Standard.