Mangrove deforestation releases more CO2 than Poland, study finds

[Judi Lynn]

by Morgan Erickson-Davis on 2 March 2018

• A new study calculates that, worldwide, mangroves were storing 4.19 billion metric tons of carbon in 2012, representing a 2 percent loss since 2000. It estimates that number had dropped further to 4.16 billion metric tons by 2017.
  
  
• In total, the study estimates that this lost carbon translates to as much as 317 million tons of CO2 emissions per year, equivalent to the annual emissions of around 67.5 million passenger vehicles in the U.S. and more than the 2015 emissions of Poland.
  
  
• The researchers found Indonesia harbors the lion’s share of the world’s mangroves – around 30 percent – while also experiencing the biggest proportion of its 2000-2012 mangrove carbon loss, with deforestation there accounting for more than 48 percent of the global total. Other parts of Southeast Asia, such as Myanmar, are also undergoing high rates of mangrove deforestation, making the entire region a hotspot of global mangrove carbon loss.
  
  
• Previous research estimates that between 30 and 50 percent of the world’s mangroves have been lost over the past 50 years. Deforestation for shrimp, rice and palm oil are among the biggest drivers of mangrove decline./ul]

More:
https://news.mongabay.com/2018/03/mangrove-deforestation-releases-more-co2-than-poland-study-finds/

[mr_lebowski]

1. When I read stuff like this I'm kinda flabbergasted at the seemingly much stronger focus ...

On 'reducing carbon output' as opposed to 'increasing (or at least CEASING to destroy)' our natural sinks that can store and sequester the Carbon we're spitting out.

We very well COULD maintain a similar lifestyle on this planet as the one we have now if we'd simply make a serious effort to 1) not destroy the friggin' photosynthetic capacity of our oceans, and 2) stop the friggin' deforestation and wetlands destruction, and instead heavily work in the direction of RE-forestation.

Of course to really succeed first we have to get a lot of drooling, knuckle-dragging, Faux-Watching MORONS from teh 'Right' ... along with the corrupt politicians they support ... onboard with the damn program.

The industrial/wealthy nations distributing free birth control and administering abortions ON DEMAND for all the poor parts world ... would also be pretty brilliant.

[KT2000]

2. to say nothing of the loss

of habitat and the protection the land has had from storms, typhoons etc. Many of these forests are replaced by aquaculture farms. Used to love shrimp but anything other than the small Oregon shrimp they likely came from mangrove deforestation.

http://mangroveactionproject.org/