B Earths Voice
Just another WordPress.com weblogArchive for greenhouse gas
work towards conserving forests and help slow climate change
According to Conservation International and other environmental experts climate change — caused by carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions — threatens species, biodiversity and life on Earth as we know it. The destruction of tropical forests across the globe contribute as much as 20% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions ( more than all the world’s cars, trucks, and airplanes combined) and advances climate change. Human activity is the main cause of deforestation, usually tied to economic development, increasing consumption rates – in both developed and developing countries – and extractive industries such as logging.
One of the most important things we can do to improve the climate is to work towards conserving forests — the lungs of the Earth. New York Times columnist Tom Friedman in his new book Hot, Flat, and Crowded, explains how protecting forests is among the quickest and most cost effective solutions available to us to assist in the slow down of climate change. It can be put into effect immediately. Unfortunately, every day beautiful pristine jungles (home to wildlife, ecosystems, and over half of all the species on Earth) are burned and cleared for farming and ranching, or for plantations to produce biofuel crops. It has been reported that loggers extract more trees than the forest can reproduce, destroying ecosystems and leaving roads that invite other exploitative forces.
Forests are important ecosystems in the balance of nature, providing a multitude of resources and services essential to all people the relentless and ongoing destruction of habitat and resources not only lead to increases in climate change but also can lead to the displacement of people who depend and live within these beautiful eco systems. Where do people like this go to? Where do they end up? This impact results in poverty and social displacement and in turn instability.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, halting deforestation and restoring already degraded areas while adopting more forest-friendly agriculture and management practices would prevent the emission of more than 300 billion tons of carbon dioxide over the next 40 years (that is more than total U.S. emissions over that same period, based on current levels).
Its frightening to realize that every 4 hours a forest the size of Manhattan is lost to the world.
For further information I recommend you go to http://www.conservation.org where you can donate or protect an acre for $15.00 US Dollars.
