From PRI, Public Radio International and KCRW Santa Monica, this is To the Point.

Do the world's forests really help to prevent global warming?

Hello again, I'm Marnalny, and this is To the Point.

From Public Radio International, a daily look at the issues, Americans care about most.

At the UN's

climate change summit in Nairobi, Kofi Annan said there's a frightening lack of leadership against

global warming. But conflicting reports show how hard it is to know what works and what doesn't. One study

says the world's depleted forests are coming back, while another says the forests may not absorb much carbon

dioxide, despite conventional wisdom. That could have a major impact on the multi-billion-dollar

business of global carbon trading. On to the point, controversy about the role of trees

in climate change. On reporter's notebook later on, can a woman change the face of politics in France?

First, here's the news.

Support for To the Point comes from subscribers of KCRW Santa Monica and from the Public Radio

International Program Fund, whose contributors include the Ford Foundation and the John

D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

Hello again, Mormon-Aulney, back with To the Point. At least some of the world's forests are coming back, and planet Earth may not become a skinhead after all, but will more trees help prevent global warming.

On To the Point, we'll hear about new controversy over the role of forests in

climate change and the multi-billion dollar business of carbon trading. On reporter's notebook,

France may get its first woman president. We'll hear about Seagolan Royale. First, this news update,

Iraq's president, Jalal Talibani, has called an emergency meeting to prevent what he says could be complete collapse of the government.

There's concern that Sunnis may walk out because of an arrest warrant issued for one of their leading clerics.

Louise Roeg reports from Baghdad for the Los Angeles Times.

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