Hello Koala Lovers,

I know most of you will not have time to read this article, but it is probably one of the most important things that I have seen in the last few days and although it is such a negative story, the good news is that is will now be impossible for our governments and industry to shy away from such disturbing consequences.

I have always felt that the carbon market was flawed because of one simple thought. That it does not respect nature enough. It does not respect that nature has taken thousands and millions of years to create this incredible balance that has benefited humans for our time on earth, and that you disturb it at your peril.

To think that you can manipulate nature to do your bidding has always felt ridiculous to me, even though I do support the concept that trees (with carbon storage) could be monetised but only if they are left in the ground.

Look at our graph of trees which shows that large amounts of carbon are in an old tree (which also has hollows for our wildlife and birds) and that small new trees have very little. I can see the time when forests like we have at Quinlans and Little Oakey could create income but it would be almost once in a lifetime.

Let us say that Quinlans had X trees that were currently storing X amount of carbon and an industry paid AKF to keep those trees to offset their emissions of an equal amount each year.

Great we all say, but just imagine if we, the AKF then cut down those trees while no one was watching? And then the next good question is, how long would it be for another opportunity to get an offset payment? Well, it seems to me that it would be centuries because trees grow slowly.

I have been obsessed about this since I first heard of carbon offsetting in New York and also in Copenhagen.

We are always being approached by people who want to plant trees to get these offsets, and I am open to it as long as it is scientifically valid, and absolutely understand that it is far less lucrative than we think.

So, where does AKF stand on this? No Tree No Me. Do not cut down the trees in the first place and even if a scheme like this does get more support in the future, we need “someone” watching that those trees are protected in perpetuity, and truly I cannot see that happening.

The Koala Protection Act wants to stop trees being cut down – when that is in place, then we can think about putting some decent clothes on that Emperor.

As always.

Deborah