The fate of the world’s tropical forests is a contentious issue as the U.S. debates a cap on greenhouse gas emissions. American companies want the ability to meet limits by purchasing forests and agreeing not to cut them down. In a two-part series on the public radio show Marketplace, CIR explores what a forest offset looks like on the ground, in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest, and the impact of a forest offset on the people who live there. Part one aired on Thursday, February 25; part two aired on Friday, February 26. These stories are produced as part of a collaborative project from CIR and FRONTLINE/World called Carbon Watch. >> Listen to part one: “Calculating the value of carbon in trees” >> Listen to part two: “Conservation projects displace locals” >> Watch the video version of this story on FRONTLINE/World: “Brazil: The Money Tree” >> Read a related story by CIR’s Mark Schapiro that ran in Mother Jones: “GM’s Money Trees”

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Mark Schapiro specializes in international and environmental stories. His award-winning work appears in all media: in publications such as Harpers, The Atlantic, Mother Jones and Yale 360; on television, including PBS FRONTLINE/World and KQED; on public radio including Marketplace; and on the web. He is currently writing a book for Wiley & Co. investigating the backstory to our carbon footprints. His previous book, "EXPOSED: The Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Products and What’s at Stake for American Power," reveals the health and economic implications of the tightening of environmental standards by the European Union.

Michael Montgomery is a senior reporter and producer for Reveal. He has led collaborations with the Associated Press, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, Frontline, KQED and others.

Previously, Montgomery was a senior reporter at American Public Media, a special correspondent for the BBC and an associate producer with CBS News. He began his career in eastern Europe, covering the fall of communism and wars in former Yugoslavia for the Daily Telegraph and Los Angeles Times. His investigations into human rights abuses in the Balkans led to the arrest and conviction of Serbian and Albanian paramilitaries and creation of a new war crimes court based in The Hague. Montgomery’s honors include Murrow, Peabody, IRE, duPont, Third Coast and Overseas Press Club awards. He is based in Reveal’s Emeryville, California, office.