Air Date: Week of November 2, 2012

(Photo: Jason Dean)

We dip into the Living on Earth mailbag to hear from our listeners.

Transcript

CURWOOD: It's Living on Earth, I'm Steve Curwood.

[LETTERS THEME MUSIC]

CURWOOD: Time now - for your emails, comments - and complaints. We reported recently on state level efforts to control carbon emissions through the policy known as REDD - Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation. REDD hopes to use cash that polluters must pay under carbon trading schemes to keep tropical forests standing.

We said that California would include REDD projects in its emissions reduction program which begins auctions of carbon allowances this month. Stanley Young of the California Air Resources board hauled us over the coals, writing that REDD is not included in the forestry protocols that could generate credits in the golden state.

In fact, in 2010 California signed an agreement with states in Mexico and Brazil that committed California to bringing REDD into the state’s carbon offset system, but Mr. Young is correct to point out California has yet to implement that agreement.

Then we had this comment from Charles Ashurst who hears us on KUSU in Logan Utah.

ASHURST: We’ve had three presidential debates, a Utah gubernatorial debate and numerous other political debates without a single mention of climate change. Are you people Living on Earth or not? If so, let’s see this issue get onto the political radar screen!

CURWOOD: Well, Sandy may have had something to say about that! We always welcome anything you have to say - email comments at loe dot org – that's comments at loe dot org – or post them on our Facebook page - it's PRI's Living on Earth.