Deforestation: The Hidden Cause of Global Warming

Trees absorb carbon dioxide, and governments should take steps to protect forests in the battle against global warming. The practice of cutting and burning tropical forests to clear land accounts for about 25 percent of carbon emissions, second only to the energy sector, according to a report from the Global Canopy Programme, an alliance of rainforest researchers. Governments could put a dent in global warming by recognizing the worth of living trees and providing incentives to preserve them, explains journalist Daniel Howden for “The Independent.” The report urges an immediate halt to logging and burning of forests, especially in Indonesia and Brazil, third and fourth largest emitters of greenhouse gases, respectively, after the US and Chinia. Some wealthy nations already pay landowners to conserve trees. Foresters question why governments prefer elaborate technical schemes to reduce emissions and plan to alert policymakers on the value of preserving trees – one of the easiest and most cost-efficient fixes available to slow global warming. The report concludes: "If we lose forests, we lose the fight against climate change." – YaleGlobal