Rising Tide North America

Climate Activists Expose Carbon Trading Scam for “350” Global Day of Action 

Tens of thousands of people gathered at 300 simultaneous events in more than 170 countries around the world today, for the 350 international day of climate action. One of the leading concerns raised this day was that corporate-driven “Carbon Trading” schemes have been blocking efforts to solve the climate crisis and prevent the devastating impacts of climate chaos on the poor.

“In order to stabilize the climate before billions of people around the world suffer the consequences, it is imperative that carbon-trading schemes are stopped and real, democratically determined solutions are implemented,” said Hilary Moore of the Mobilization for Climate Justice, “that’s why we have compiled an international list of well-documented reasons showing how carbon trading is failing to deliver.” 

Led by Rising Tide North America, Carbon Trade Watch, the Camp for Climate Action and the Mobilization for Climate Justice, activists from around the world helped compile hundreds of reasons exposing the fallacies and failures of carbon-derivatives markets and offsetting programs – such as the displacement of food crops, the burning of valuable resources and massive subsidies given to oil, coal and other major climate polluters. 

“We cannot afford to waste any more time and resources on such trading scams when so many lives and livelihoods are at stake,” said David Vine of Rising Tide North America, “ We are hopeful this information will serve to dispel the many myths of carbon marketeering, encourage an outright rejection of such false corporate solutions, and move us towards democratic, scientific and affordable strategies that show tangible, local benefits.”

Many Domestic and international climate policy arenas, including the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, are prioritizing protection for corporate profits and carbon-intensive industrial growth - through the marketing and offsetting of greenhouse gas emissions. This is not only restricting resources for popular, climate justice solutions, but actually serving to increase current levels of climate pollution.

An online video report showing 350 such reasons why “carbon trading” is failing to work, as well as printed materials are available for download at: 

www.350reasons.org.

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www.350reasons.org