By Walden Bello*

(Excerpts from acceptance speech at the Outstanding Public Scholar Award Panel, International Studies Association, 49^th Annual Convention, San Francisco, California, March 27, 2008. Bello was the second recipient of the award, the first being Dr. Susan George in 2007. Members of the panel honoring Bello were George; Dr. Richard Falk, professor emeritus at Princeton University; Dr. Robin Broad, professor at American University, and Dr.Barry Gills, professor at the University of Newcastle.)

I would like, first of all, to say that I am very grateful to the International Political Economy Section of the International Studies Association for this award. I am very, very honored by the generous comments of Barry [Gills], Robin [Broad], Richard [Falk] and Susan [George]. And it really is an honor to be in the company of Susan, the first person to be given this award. Let me just say that, especially in comparison to Susan, I am not really sure that I am the best person to be named ISA's Outstanding Public Scholar for 2008, though I think I would consider myself a public intellectual or, as the French say, intellectuel engage-that is, one who marries analysis to action, or at least tries to.

By Walden Bello

THERE is now a solid consensus in the scientific community that if the change in global mean temperature in the twenty-first century exceeds 2.4 degrees Celsius, changes in the planet's climate will be large-scale, irreversible, and disastrous. Moreover, the window of opportunity for action that will make a difference is narrow -- that is, the next 10 to 15 years.

Throughout the North, however, there is strong resistance to changing the systems of consumption and production that have created the problem in the first place and a preference for "techno-fixes," such as "clean" coal, carbon sequestration and storage, industrial-scale biofuels, and nuclear energy.

Globally, transnational corporations and other private actors resist government-imposed measures such as mandatory caps, preferring to use market mechanisms like the buying and selling of "carbon credits," which critics says simply amounts to a license for corporate polluters to keep on polluting.

Victor Menotti*

The world's economic policymakers are addressing climate change with an unprecedented level of engagement at the Bali conference. While the negotiations for a new global climate accord to replace the Kyoto Protocol wrap up in Nusa Dua, numerous trade ministers are meeting to initiate an informal dialogue on climate, as are finance ministers.

REDUCING DEFORESTATION UNDER THE CLIMATE CONVENTION: FUNDING FORESTS, PLANTATIONS OR FORESTERS?

Simone Lovera*

The tune "The money keeps rolling" from the musical "Evita" kept playing in my mind as I witnessed the forest-related wheeling and dealing that took place during the 13th Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Bali in December. The song describes how populist governments try to win public support by throwing money at people, instead of introducing responsible policies that will alleviate people's poverty in a sustainable manner. Governments' attitudes to proposals on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation in Developing Countries (REDD) showed some clear parallels.