Deforestation

“Sadly, it's much easier to create a desert than a forest.”

-James Lovelock, Founder of Gaia Theory

The world’s forests are being cleared at the alarming rate of 1 hectare per second according to the UN Food and Agricultural Organization.  This culminates in approximately 13 million hectares (50,000 sq. miles) of forests destroyed per year, an area equivalent to the size of Greece. If deforestation continues at current rates, scientists estimate nearly 80%-90% of tropical rainforest ecosystems will be destroyed by the year 2020. 

In addition to the dire consequences to wildlife and local peoples, trees contain carbon, and while they live, they absorb CO2 from the atmosphere, compensating in part for the greenhouse gases released into the air from power plants, factories and transportation. When trees are cut down or burned, that carbon is put back into the atmosphere, accelerating climate change.

According to the UN Forum on Forests, deforestation accounts for 35% of carbon emissions in developing countries and 65% in least developed countries.  On a global level, deforestation emits approximately 20% of total annual carbon emissions, more than all the world’s cars, aircraft and ships combined. If we cannot stop forest loss, we will struggle to stop climate change.

This fact was recognized by the British government's December 2008 Eliasch Review titled Climate Change: Financing Global Forests

“Saving forests is critical for tackling climate change. Without action on deforestation, avoiding the worst impacts of climate change will be next to impossible, and could lead to additional climate change damages of $1 trillion a year by 2100.  Deforestation will continue as long as cutting down and burning trees is more economic than preserving them. Access to finance from carbon markets and other funding initiatives will be essential for supporting forest nations to meet this challenge.”