Forests to fall for food and fuel - BBC

[Eugene]

Source: BBC News

Page last updated at 23:04 GMT, Sunday, 13 July 2008 00:04 UK

Forests to fall for food and fuel
By Richard Black
Environment correspondent, BBC News website

Demand for land to grow food, fuel crops and wood
is set to outstrip supply, leading to the probable
destruction of forests, a report warns.

The Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI) says
only half of the extra land needed by 2030 is
available without eating into tropical forested
areas.

A companion report documents poor progress in
reforming land ownership and governance in
developing countries.

Both reports will be launched on Monday in UK
government offices in London.

-snip-

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7503304.stm

[kestrel91316]

1. Game over. We are doomed. I may as well eat myself to death while I can.

[stuntcat]

2. even less space for animals

All the animals that aren't as important as the people.
I wish I was 87, not 37.

[Dead_Parrot]

3. Maybe if we build a really big stone head or two...

[NickB79]

4. It's going to be a really bad century to be a tree

To quote Phantom Power :)

[phantom power]

5. Word.

[GreenPartyVoter]

6. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!

[JohnWxy]

7. IF you could stop deforestation by lumber companies and then stop locals from burning down the rest

for charcoal and then for farming you'd be a long way towards solving the deforestation problem. before there is a actual demand for renewable fuels it's a a prediction that people will cut down forests for fuel. Right now it's a hypothesis, an ugly one but still a hyposthesis.

I would suggest the land ownership laws be tightened up and enforced (experts on deforeststion say this is citical in stopping wanton deforestation by lumber companies) first, then you can address the renewable fuel issue if it develops into a threat to the forests. Right now, it's the cutting of trees for lumber that is the real cause of deforestation , along with cutting for charcoal and for farming - but that often happens (farming) only after the forest has been hewn by the lumber companies.