The planet is losing an area of forest cover the size of the UK each year

The rate of world deforestation continues to accelerate, despite governments’ promises to reverse it. Now, the world loses 64 million acres a year of forested land, which is equivalent to the size of the United Kingdom, according to a new study by Climate Focus . Thirty-seven governments as well as many multinational companies, NGOs and groups representing indigenous communities have signed the New York Declaration on Forests since it sprang from the UN Secretary-General’s Climate Summit in 2014. This declaration pledged to cut the deforestation rate in half by 2020 and to end it by 2030. Unfortunately, this feel-good, non-legally binding declaration has been hugely unsuccessful. Since the declaration was penned, tree cover loss has skyrocketed by 43 percent, while tropical primary forests have been slashed. The world is now in worse shape than when the well-intended pledge was made. Some countries are making an effort. Indonesia slowed its rate of deforestation by a third between 2017 and 2018. Some countries, such as Ethiopia, Mexico and El Salvador, are determinedly planting trees. But these attempts are overshadowed by deforestation in much of Southeast Asia, Latin America and Africa. Major forests in these regions saw marked decreases in tree cover between 2014 and 2018. Latin America lost the most forest by volume, but Africa experienced the greatest increase in the rate of deforestation. Of course, the recent Amazon wildfires are bringing deforestation to a whole new level. Climate scientists worry about feedback loops, where climate change makes trees drier, leading to increased flammability and more fires and carbon dioxide, which in turn makes things drier, hotter and even more flammable. “Deforestation, mostly for agriculture, contributes around a third of anthropogenic CO2 emissions,” Jo House, an environmental specialist at the University of Bristol, told The Guardian . “At the same time, forests naturally take up around a third of anthropogenic CO2 emissions. This natural sink provided by forests is at risk from the dual compounding threats of further deforestation and future climate change . The continued loss of primary forests at ever-increasing rates. despite their incalculable value and irreplaceability, is both shocking and tragic.” + Climate Focus Via The Guardian Image via Robert Jones

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The planet is losing an area of forest cover the size of the UK each year

The planet is losing an area of forest cover the size of the UK each year

The rate of world deforestation continues to accelerate, despite governments’ promises to reverse it. Now, the world loses 64 million acres a year of forested land, which is equivalent to the size of the United Kingdom, according to a new study by Climate Focus . Thirty-seven governments as well as many multinational companies, NGOs and groups representing indigenous communities have signed the New York Declaration on Forests since it sprang from the UN Secretary-General’s Climate Summit in 2014. This declaration pledged to cut the deforestation rate in half by 2020 and to end it by 2030. Unfortunately, this feel-good, non-legally binding declaration has been hugely unsuccessful. Since the declaration was penned, tree cover loss has skyrocketed by 43 percent, while tropical primary forests have been slashed. The world is now in worse shape than when the well-intended pledge was made. Some countries are making an effort. Indonesia slowed its rate of deforestation by a third between 2017 and 2018. Some countries, such as Ethiopia, Mexico and El Salvador, are determinedly planting trees. But these attempts are overshadowed by deforestation in much of Southeast Asia, Latin America and Africa. Major forests in these regions saw marked decreases in tree cover between 2014 and 2018. Latin America lost the most forest by volume, but Africa experienced the greatest increase in the rate of deforestation. Of course, the recent Amazon wildfires are bringing deforestation to a whole new level. Climate scientists worry about feedback loops, where climate change makes trees drier, leading to increased flammability and more fires and carbon dioxide, which in turn makes things drier, hotter and even more flammable. “Deforestation, mostly for agriculture, contributes around a third of anthropogenic CO2 emissions,” Jo House, an environmental specialist at the University of Bristol, told The Guardian . “At the same time, forests naturally take up around a third of anthropogenic CO2 emissions. This natural sink provided by forests is at risk from the dual compounding threats of further deforestation and future climate change . The continued loss of primary forests at ever-increasing rates. despite their incalculable value and irreplaceability, is both shocking and tragic.” + Climate Focus Via The Guardian Image via Robert Jones

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The planet is losing an area of forest cover the size of the UK each year

Why Hawaii’s carbon neutrality pledge matters

From the standpoint of reducing emissions, the declaration might seem symbolic. But other states are watching and learning from the island state’s policies.

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Why Hawaii’s carbon neutrality pledge matters

AAA has new automation leaders; Nelson Switzer leaves Nestle

In this month’s roundup of interesting sustainability career moves: ex-politicos go private, Nelson Switzer leaves Nestle and sustainability boards get shakeups.

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AAA has new automation leaders; Nelson Switzer leaves Nestle

What are the roadblocks to Latin America’s clean bus transition?

18 Latin American cities have signed onto the Clean Bus Declaration, but high upfront costs and technology risks may be holding zero emission fleets back.

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What are the roadblocks to Latin America’s clean bus transition?

Roofing Company Introduces Environmental Product Declarations

In an industry-leading move for the roofing industry, Owens Corning has introduced the first roofing Environmental Product Declaration (EPD). An EPD is an independently verified document that gives the reader transparent and comparable information…

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Roofing Company Introduces Environmental Product Declarations

SC Sen. Lindsey Graham requests federal aid for flood victims, despite denying the same after Sandy

In South Carolina, at least 11 counties have requested the declaration of a state of emergency following the floods caused by Hurricane Joaquin over the weekend. Torrential rains forced thousands of residents to flee their homes across the state’s low-lying areas, and at least 14 people have lost their lives as a result of the high waters. Senator Lindsey Graham (R) was quick to ask the federal government for aid following the floods in his home state. His request doesn’t seem all that unreasonable, given the extent of the flooding and devastation to local communities that were unprepared for the torrential rain. The troubling thing about Sen. Graham’s request is that he adamantly opposed similar federal aid to New Jersey in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in 2013. And he doesn’t remember it. Read the rest of SC Sen. Lindsey Graham requests federal aid for flood victims, despite denying the same after Sandy

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SC Sen. Lindsey Graham requests federal aid for flood victims, despite denying the same after Sandy

Industrial Giant Cargill Announces Promise to Stop Leveling Rainforests

Mega agricultural and industrial company Cargill has announced at the UN Climate Summit that it will begin to support the New York Declaration on Forests- and stop leveling rainforests . The company, which has widespread properties in both Brazil and Malaysia, has vowed to protect forests in all of its agricultural supply chains. This exciting news is a big step for the declaration, which aims to end forest losses by 2030. Read the rest of Industrial Giant Cargill Announces Promise to Stop Leveling Rainforests Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: cargill , deforestation , eco design , green design , New York Declaration on Forests , sustainable design , un climate summit

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Industrial Giant Cargill Announces Promise to Stop Leveling Rainforests

Green building leaders declare freedom from toxics

Here's how the Health Product Declaration is becoming the new best practice to beat in green building.

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Green building leaders declare freedom from toxics