"US Must help Protect Tropical Forests to Lead on Climate Change Solutions."

This article is about the search for solutions to what seems to be undeniable climate change.
President Bush claims that the United States is a leader in finding climate solutions, while recently, the President had slashed funds to the USAID which supported minimizing tropical forest deforestation.
Deforestation has been one of the leading causes of greenhouse gas emissions....about 20% of global gasses. (This is actually more than the entire transportation sector.)
G-8 leaders, including Bush, agreed that “reducing, and in the long run halting deforestation provides a significant and cost-effective contribution toward mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and toward conserving biodiversity, promoting sustainable forest management and enhancing security of livelihoods.” They also agreed to “remain engaged in helping developing countries achieve their self commitments for halting forest loss.”
USAID budget costs will ruin efforts to preserve forests in developing countries, particularly in Africa, Asia, and South America, where USAID programs support the emergence of community management of natural resources.
In Madagascar, USAID funding is being targeted for a 60 percent reduction, which will put the brakes on the work by Madagascar’s government to help its struggling population protect its rare and species-rich tropical forests. Again, the U.S. cuts could end promising but nascent progress supported by a pro-environment and pro-American government.
In order for tropical forests to play their role in preventing catastrophic climate change, we need more forest protection funding for developing nations, not less. A good example is with Indonesia, where Germany and Australia aim to provide well over $100 million to develop financial markets, improve law enforcement, manage parks and reserves, and reduce poverty in order to slow and eventually reverse deforestation.