Brazil

The fate of the world's tropical forests is a contentious issue as the U.S. debates a cap on greenhouse gas emissions. American companies want the ability to meet limits by purchasing forests and agreeing not to cut them down. In a two-part series on the public radio show Marketplace, CIR explores what a forest offset looks like on the ground, in Brazil's Atlantic Forest, and the impact of a forest offset on the people who live there. Part one aired on Thursday, February 25; part two aired on Friday, February 26.

These stories are produced as part of a collaborative project from CIR and FRONTLINE/World called Carbon Watch.

>> Listen to part one: "Calculating the value of carbon in trees"

>> Listen to part two: "Conservation projects displace locals"

>> Watch the video version of this story on FRONTLINE/World: "Brazil: The Money Tree"

>> Read a related story by CIR's Mark Schapiro that ran in Mother Jones: "GM's Money Trees"

On Brazil's Atlantic coast, people with some of the world's lowest carbon footprints are being displaced—so their forests can become offsets for US corporations. CIR's Mark Schapiro reports for Mother Jones.

>> Read the full article on MotherJones.com.

In the new economy created by global warming, forests are turning into a valuable commodity. Promising not to cut them down is one of the most popular ways companies would like to offset their emissions. Correspondent Mark Schapiro follows the trail of one of those offset projects deep into Brazil’s Atlantic Forest.

This multimedia feature is a joint project between CIR and FRONTLINE/World.