Chapter 1: Carbon Boom
“The living forest was central to Acre’s recent history. The idea that it could be profitable was, then, not an import of a global green capitalism. Rather, Acrean rubber—an export product without much direct local use—showed that the living forest could generate great wealth.” (Greenleaf 41)
Synopsis
“Chapter 1 centers on a key component of the effort to make Acrean forest carbon valuable to potential carbon offset buyers…: Acrean rubber history and its retelling [including the ecology, dynamics of migration and exploitation, and social and political movements linked to rubber]. I call this retelling the rubber narrative and explore how it both differentiated and standardized Acrean forest carbon in ways that elucidate green capitalism. The chapter also examines forest carbon’s materiality and temporality.” (Greenleaf 31)
Discussion Questions & Key Concepts
Key concepts: Differentiation, standardization, extractivism, commodities, temporality
What is the relationship between rubber and forest carbon in Acre?
What is extractivism in Acre and how does it differ from more common definitions of extractivism?
What is the significance of forest carbon’s materiality and temporality to efforts to make it valuable?