New Zealand's carbon farms

We know that the driving force behind global climate change is the production of carbon dioxide. Now, more than ever, it seems that the world needs to reduce its emissions. Some companies, unable to do so quickly, have come up with an idea: carbon credits. In this way, they pay for a "right to pollute" offset by carbon farms, usually massive tree plantations in various corners of the planet.

The idea may sound appealing, but it has managed to attract the New Zealand government. To date, the forestry industry has invested around 5 billion euros in pine plantations and processing. But this is having a detrimental effect on local residents. Particularly in certain Maori communities, trees are often swept away by cyclones. As a result, this monoculture causes significant damage to the surrounding shores and farms, and even death in some situations. What's more, Maori education, which is based on outdoor learning, is less and less feasible because of the disaster areas, whose damage takes time to be repaired by the authorities.

The solution, according to some, lies in changing the approach to reforestation, which should focus instead on species endemic to New Zealand. Fortunately, indigenous nations are making their voices heard by international organizations, including the UN, which has criticized the carbon footprint of New Zealand's carbon farms for producing more emissions than they remove.

Running time: 24 minutes

Photo: Screenshot of the report