Pay-to-protect forest plan gets cautious welcome. Environmentalists warn the global fund would give rich nations a cheaper alternative to cutting their own greenhouse emissions and put at risk the human rights of a billion people who depend on forests for their livelihoods. [News Source]

Students using their energy for efficiency. By the end of the school year, Ridgedale Middle School students will stand in front of the Board of Education and deliver a list of recommendations to save energy. [News Source]

Japan to buy Poland’s emissions credits. Japan signed an agreement on Tuesday to buy allowances from Poland to emit greenhouse gas, helping Tokyo achieve its goals under the Kyoto Protocol, Japan's trade ministry said. [News Source]

Consumer response to climate change puts onus on brands. Consumers are calling on brands to take responsibility for reducing the impact of climate change as governments fail to make progress on the critical issue, according to a global study. [News Source]

Forest plan may ‘fuel corruption’. The UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown has launched a plan to save the world's threatened rainforests - but already it is running into opposition. [News Source]

Rich countries must pay for rainforests - UK report. Rich countries should pay tropical nations billions of dollars a year to save their forests, using donor money and global carbon markets to foot the bill, said a UK-commissioned report on Tuesday. [News Source]

Rich nations ’should pay poor ones billions a year to save rainforests’. Wealthy nations should pay dozens of the world's poorest countries up to £19-billion a year to preserve their rainforests, according to a report commissioned by Gordon Brown. [News Source]

UK government: rainforests are weapon against global warming. Protecting tropical forests will simultaneously reduce carbon emissions, support poverty reduction and help preserve biodiversity and other forest services, says a new report commissioned by the British government. [News Source]

Progress reported in UN-backed efforts to reduce pollution, emissions from ships. The UN International Maritime Organization has reported major progress on efforts to cut polluting and global warming emissions from ships, achieve more environmentally friendly recycling of vessels and prevent contamination in ballast. [News Source]

Energy independence a possible but elusive goal. The reality is most Americans aren't likely to spend thousands of dollars to reduce their carbon footprint, whether it's because they can't afford it or they just think climate change is silly. Fourth of four parts. [News Source]

Options for replacing coal are few, costly. When it comes to replacing coal-fired power plants that are the country's biggest source of greenhouse gases, viable options are few. Fourth of four parts. [News Source]