The oil exploration corporation would then own the land for 15 years and be able to sell carbon credits for that land on the international market.
Why did the Indians need the oil exploration corporation to make this agreement for carbon credits? Couldn't an NGO arrange this for them without a middle man and without them having to give up ownership of their land?
Are the carbon credits projected to fully compensate the oil exploration corporation for their 15 years of payments to the Indians? Will there be a profit for the oil exploration corporation besides the profit on oil drilling?
What will the Indians do for 15 years? Will they have to change their lives and traditional way of living? What happens at the end of the 15 years? What other impacts might result from loss of land ownership over a generation? How would the NGO monitoring the land use change the relationship of the Indians to their land?
What is the nexus between oil drilling and Indians besides exploitation?
The researcher was angry and disgusted with me for asking these questions, and said that I was biased against seeing that it was a benefit for the people. I said that these questions should be explored and answered fully before any agreements were made. The researcher said that the questions had not occurred to him and that as far as he was concerned it's a 'win-win.'
Is it? We'll know in 15 years, if anyone cares to look. It's not too hard to figure out that moving people out of the rural and suburban areas (a goal of UN Agenda 21) is well-served by this oil company/Indian exploitation-or-windfall scheme. At the end of 15 years will there be any Indians left in that village? The carbon sink game is one that is sure to benefit those with big money and power. Very soon now you'll be paying for your carbon-heavy travel and lifestyle. You can pay voluntarily when you book travel on some airlines, but this is just the start.
Think globally, act locally. The biggest public relations scam in the history of the world has cast a big net.