Environmentalists denounce Shell's Indonesia REDD project

Ben Ezeamalu in 234Next.com: Environmentalists have frowned at the Shell-backed REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation) project, describing it as a false solution to climate change that put forests in the carbon market, and has been denounced as potentially the “largest land grab of all time.”

According to the Indigenous Environmental Network, REDD is rife with “perverse incentives” to convert natural forests into monoculture tree plantations and to actually increase deforestation.” Reuters reported that Shell, Gazprom, and the Clinton Foundation are funding the landmark REDD Rimba Raya project on 100,000 ha (250,000 acres) in the province of Central Kalimantan in Indonesia.

“Shell is compounding its devastating impacts on mother earth and indigenous peoples by financing REDD, which may result in the largest land grab of all time and more genocide against indigenous peoples,” said Tom Goldtooth, Indigenous Environmental Network’s executive director. According to Mr. Goldtooth, “Most of the forests of the world are found in indigenous peoples’ land. REDD-type projects have already resulted in land grabs, violations of human rights, threats to cultural survival, militarisation, scams, and servitude.”

…“Shell already committed genocide against the Ogoni people of the Niger Delta. REDD allows Shell and other polluting corporations to expand fossil fuel extraction and continue destroying the climate and violating indigenous peoples’ rights worldwide. As we speak, Shell is trying to expand its oil drilling operations in environmentally sensitive offshore Alaska, despite the protests of Alaska natives,” Mr. Goldtooth said…

The caption from this Tropenmuseum image is: Een groep Dajaks van Muaratewe en een Europeaan in de Boven Doesoenlanden, Borneo