“Carbon colonialism”: Four Corners exposes allegations of carbon mining in farming in New Guinea
Essays by Eric Worrall
Four Corners: “… U.S. regulators took civil action… Strauss repeatedly defrauded investors knowingly and/or recklessly by disseminating false information and causing misinformation. misread. …”.
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Also from Aussie ABC (producer of Four Corners);
carbon colonialism
Via Stephen Long, Meghna Baliand Max Murch
Four corners
Updated February 14, 2023, 12:13 pm
Published February 14, 2023, 4:47 amThe southwestern coast of New Ireland, Papua New Guinea, is surrounded by pristine rainforest.
An American company called NIHT Inc has partnered with locals here to end deforestation in the area.
NIHT stands for “New Ireland Hardwood Timber,” and as the name suggests, it started out as a timber company with its own rainforest clearing scheme.
Instead, it turns to conserving trees and turning the carbon inside them into an asset.
Businesses in Australia have been enthusiastic customers of NIHT Inc.
The Sydney Opera House, Planet Ark, Nespresso, the law firms Gilbert + Tobin, Corrs Chambers Westgarth and Active Super are among their clients.
They purchased carbon credits from the NIHT project to offset their greenhouse gas emissions. And the offer is tempting, with the NIHT promising to stop “exploitative commercial logging in the project area” and “reduce the impact of poverty.”
But there is a gap between NIHT marketing and reality.
…
Statement of ABC Four Corners Stephen Strauss, Executive Director of NIHT, has been sued by US regulators. From the documentary: “… U.S. regulators filed civil lawsuits… Strauss repeatedly defrauded investors knowingly and/or recklessly by disseminating false information and misleading. …”.
I tried to find the court case. There are several possible instances of the lawsuit ABC Four Corners is talking about, but unfortunately ABC doesn’t provide enough information to pinpoint that case.
You would imagine given the extent of the alleged wrongdoing, the ABC would have the right to question the existence of a carbon credit industry. Instead, the documentary sadly makes the point that the carbon credits industry needs to be cleaned up rather than eliminated.
Having said this, the documentary is surprisingly watchable. It focuses on allegations of legally uninformed tribal groups being tricked into signing complex carbon farming contracts with provisions allowing unlimited cost deductions to the other party, alleging. forced impoverished Indigenous peoples who were denied the profits they were promised, allegations of misrepresentation and many other figures where ABC appeared accused of exploiting both Indigenous peoples and well-intentioned Australian companies seeking how to buy carbon offsets for their Australian businesses.
The only group the show doesn’t attempt to expose are the politicians who have facilitated this alleged exploitation to continue for such a long time. Colonial persecution in the 19th century could never have happened without the cooperation between European leaders, exploiters and corrupt local leaders, so I couldn’t help wonder if the same is true in PNG today. When I look at careers that are naive and helpless, for some reason I keep thinking, people are not always what they claim to be, especially in a place like this. accused of corruption like Papua New Guinea.
Of course, I am sure that all the politicians interviewed by the Four Corners reporter are as innocent and innocent as they claim.
One more thing I would like to add. Stephen Strauss, if ABC gets it wrong, please contact WUWT and present your side of the story.
Update (EW): Added youtube link to video.
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