Nations Near Deal to Save Tropical Forests

Looks like the UN climate talks under way in Cancun could yield at least one tangible deal—an agreement to start saving the world's tropical forests. The concept is simple enough: Developing nations such as Brazil, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea would be paid to stop bulldozing their forests, reports the Washington Post, which notes that global deforestation accounts for 15% of yearly greenhouse gas emissions.

The logistics, such as figuring out where that money comes from and how to verify carbon cuts, are a bit trickier. Grand plans once called for a global emissions-trading market, but Congress dampened that idea when it scrapped legislation that would have let US companies buy offsets abroad. Still, advocates see the so-called REDD treaty as an important first step, even if funding is low at first. The deforestation deal is "low-hanging fruit," says the UN Foundation chief. "Low-hanging fruit, if left on the tree, can rot." The pact could be approved by week's end. (More tropical forests stories.)