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The task force was created to use carbon credits to fight climate change and deforestation, but protesters say the program harms Indigenous people and doesn’t curb emissions

Story Transcript

DANIEL ILARIO: We’re in front of the Park 55 Hotel, where the governor’s climate and force task force is meeting.

DHARNA NOOR: And can you explain what the REDD program is, for people who don’t know, and what some of the issues are with that?

DANIEL ILARIO: Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation. These programs try to take control of certain areas of forest so they can create these carbon credits that can be sold off to different polluters around the world. That can be very problematic to Indigenous and traditional people. And many times they’re forced off of their land, in many cases violently.

CASEY CAMP HORINEK: We met with several states, and we met with some people of the Huron Nation. We met with people that were here in this grand carbon scheme that is beyond anything I’ve ever seen, where one third of the forest would be under control of people who are not caretaking it. A hundred years ago we went through the exact same situation with the federal government. We’re trying to help our relatives from the south through the maze that might help them before this happens to them, and also to protect us.