The credibility of Japan as a responsible global actor is at stake. It would be tragic if Japan's vacillation killed a vital U.N. agreement.

He was my mother's favorite actor of all time,

I don't know if 'M*A*S*H' made me a better actor, but I know it made me a better human being.

Trees only absorb carbon to a certain point in their lifetime,

In developing countries the situation could be even worse because developing countries do not have to count their emissions under the Kyoto Protocol. Private companies from industrialized nations will seek cheap carbon credits for their country in the developing world.

This project in Australia is just one example of what could go terribly wrong for the world's forests if the governments of Japan, Australia and the United States get their way next week at the climate summit in the Hague. Instead of reducing the pollution that causes global warming, these countries are looking for quick fixes that have high risks for forests.