An interesting story is brewing in Australia over the so-called "Papua New Guinea carbon trading rush". Kirk Roberts, pictured (and who is described in the Australian media as a "colourful racing identity - i.e., a past including horse doping and other "colourful" activities) has reportedly "persuaded many tribal groups to sign their rainforests up for future use as carbon credits". As reported here, "Mr Roberts, who runs his carbon operations through a company called Nupan, claims to have the power of attorney over 90 forestry deals, giving him control over land potentially worth tens of millions of dollars as carbon sinks in the fight against climate change". In this article, "Tim King, from the Wilderness Society, said there had been "a tsunami of carbon traders spreading across PNG. Carbon finance and REDD [Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation] have triggered a 'gold rush' mentality.""

It's almost as though nobody saw this coming...