2011: The year of forests for people – and people for the forests

2011   

International

 Year of Forests

Forests are important for a number of reasons - but today it’s their role in helping to prevent climate change that gets the most attention. Simply put, forests store nearly 300 billion tonnes of carbon in their living parts. This is roughly 40 times the annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from fossil fuels. Deforestation accounts for more climate pollution than all the world's cars, trucks, trains planes, and ships combined. 

In international negotiations, primarily at the UNFCCC talks, a  concept of reducing emissions from tropical deforestation and degradation aka “REDD” is being introduced. The concept is fairly simple: rich, developed countries will provide funding to help developing countries protect their forests and invest in clean, green development. In the process, the entire world benefits because forests and the ecosystems they form are beyond doubt essential for the survival of life on Earth

As they say:

"Only after the last tree has been cut down ... you will find that money cannot be eaten."

 Tropical forests are one of the greatest storehouse of nature's diversity on Earth, 98% of all land-based species of plants and animals view the forest as home. Forests regulate water flow and rainfall so we depend on them to grow our crops and food. Loss of a forest in one part of the world can have severe impacts in another part of the globe - scientists have found that loss of forest in Amazonia and Central Africa  may be responsible for shortening of monsoon season in the Indian sub-continent.

  So dont just sit there stand up for the forests that have stood for you since your ancestors started to breathe!