Global Canopy Programme: deforestation a key to Global Warming

The Independent has a timely reminder about deforestation and global warming.

The rampant slashing and burning of tropical forests is second only to the energy sector as a source of greenhouses gases according to report published today by the Oxford-based Global Canopy Programme, an alliance of leading rainforest scientists.

"Tropical forests are the elephant in the living room of climate change," said Andrew Mitchell, the head of the GCP.

Scientists say one days' deforestation is equivalent to the carbon footprint of eight million people flying to New York. Reducing those catastrophic emissions can be achieved most quickly and most cheaply by halting the destruction in Brazil, Indonesia, the Congo and elsewhere. No new technology is needed, says the GCP, just the political will and a system of enforcement and incentives that makes the trees worth more to governments and individuals standing than felled.

Flipping that analogy around makes more sense to me. If one day's deforestation equals the carbon footprint of eight million travellers, and there are certainly more people than that who fly each day worldwide, then maybe we should tie air travel to funding an international initiative that will save the tropical forests.

Tags: global warming deforestation greenhouse gases tropical forests