A study published Wednesday suggests that mountain forests may store up to two-thirds more carbon than previously thought, underscoring the vital role they can play in combating climate change.&nbsp;

High-altitude forests are typically considered to hold less carbon than lowland forests because the soil and climatic factors affect tree growth and, in turn, the amount of carbon the trees are able to store.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/climate-change-made-deadly-europe-floods-up-to-nine-times-more-likely-study-408046">Climate change made deadly Europe floods up to nine times more likely: Study</a>

Scientists report in Nature that the average carbon content of Africa's montane forests is 149.4 tons per hectare, roughly equivalent to the average carbon content of African lowlands.

In a striking twist, this is more than two-thirds higher than the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimate of&nbsp;89.3 tonnes of carbon per hectare.

To obtain this data, a&nbsp;team of international researchers examined data from 44 highland sites across 12 African countries to more accurately estimate the carbon stored in these so-called montane forests.&nbsp;

They measured the diameter and height of more than 72,000 trees to determine how dense the wood is, then logged the species present in each plot.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/climate-change-for-real-glacier-melts-makes-swedish-peak-shrink-by-2-metres-in-a-year-406593">Climate change&nbsp;for real?&nbsp;Glacier melts, makes&nbsp;Swedish peak shrink by&nbsp;2 metres&nbsp;in a year</a>

From there, they calculated the carbon storage rate per unit of forest area.

In spite of the huge amount of carbon they store, montane forests are threatened by logging, mining, and land conversion.&nbsp;

In Mozambique, for example, it was found that nearly a third of its 18,000 hectares (44,500 acres) of high altitude forests had been destroyed since 2000.&nbsp;

There has been a loss of over half a million hectares of mountain forests in the Democratic Republic of Congo in this century, accounting for much of Africa's 800,000 hectares.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-climate-change-could-sink-entire-nations-404528/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

As per the authors, these research findings have a range of policy implications, including the use of "carbon finance", incentives to conserve forests instead of clear-cutting them.&nbsp;

They argue that past underestimations of carbon storage capacity by the IPCC may have led to governments being less inclined to preserve high-altitude forest areas.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

A study published Wednesday suggests that mountain forests may store up to two-thirds more carbon than previously thought, underscoring the vital role they can play in combating climate change.

A study published Wednesday suggests that mountain forests may store up to two-thirds more carbon than previously thought, underscoring the vital role they can play in combating climate change. High-altitude forests are typically considered to hold less carbon than lowland forests because the soil and climatic factors affect tree growth and, in turn, the amount of carbon the trees are able to store. Also read | Climate change made deadly Europe floods up to nine times more likely: Study Scientists report in Nature that the average carbon content of Africa's montane forests is 149.4 tons per hectare, roughly equivalent to the average carbon content of African lowlands. In a striking twist, this is more than two-thirds higher than the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimate of 89.3 tonnes of carbon per hectare. To obtain this data, a team of international researchers examined data from 44 highland sites across 12 African countries to more accurately estimate the carbon stored in these so-called montane forests. They measured the diameter and height of more than 72,000 trees to determine how dense the wood is, then logged the species present in each plot. Also read | Climate change for real? Glacier melts, makes Swedish peak shrink by 2 metres in a year From there, they calculated the carbon storage rate per unit of forest area. In spite of the huge amount of carbon they store, montane forests are threatened by logging, mining, and land conversion. In Mozambique, for example, it was found that nearly a third of its 18,000 hectares (44,500 acres) of high altitude forests had been destroyed since 2000. There has been a loss of over half a million hectares of mountain forests in the Democratic Republic of Congo in this century, accounting for much of Africa's 800,000 hectares. As per the authors, these research findings have a range of policy implications, including the use of "carbon finance", incentives to conserve forests instead of clear-cutting them. They argue that past underestimations of carbon storage capacity by the IPCC may have led to governments being less inclined to preserve high-altitude forest areas. (With inputs from agencies)

African mountain forests store two-thirds more carbon than previously believed: Study

A new report reveals that deforestation in the Amazon forest has hit the highest annual level in a decade.&nbsp;

Between August 2020 and July 2021, the rainforest lost 10.476 square kilometres, an area nearly seven times bigger than greater London and 13 times the size of New York City, reveals by Imazon, a Brazilian research institute that has been tracking the Amazon deforestation since 2008. The figure is 57 per cent higher than in the previous year and is the worst since 2012.

Carlos Souza, a researcher at Imazon, was quoted by The Guardian as saying, "Deforestation is still out of control."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/powerful-storm-threatens-us-east-coast-407347">Also read |&nbsp;Powerful storm threatens US east coast</a>

“Brazil is going against the global climate agenda that is seeking to urgently reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

Souza further urged for the urgent resumption of government actions to stop the destruction. This includes measures like the enforcement of illegal agriculture-led deforestation in the region.

Marcio Astrini, the executive-secretary of the organisation Climate Observatory, said, "The data shows that it didn’t work".

“No army operation will be able to mask or reverse the attacks of the federal government against the forest.”

A new report reveals that deforestation in the Amazon forest has hit the highest annual level in a decade. Between August 2020 and July 2021, the rainforest lost 10.

A new report reveals that deforestation in the Amazon forest has hit the highest annual level in a decade. Between August 2020 and July 2021, the rainforest lost 10.476 square kilometres, an area nearly seven times bigger than greater London and 13 times the size of New York City, reveals by Imazon, a Brazilian research institute that has been tracking the Amazon deforestation since 2008. The figure is 57 per cent higher than in the previous year and is the worst since 2012. Carlos Souza, a researcher at Imazon, was quoted by The Guardian as saying, "Deforestation is still out of control." Also read | Powerful storm threatens US east coast “Brazil is going against the global climate agenda that is seeking to urgently reduce greenhouse gas emissions.” Souza further urged for the urgent resumption of government actions to stop the destruction. This includes measures like the enforcement of illegal agriculture-led deforestation in the region. Marcio Astrini, the executive-secretary of the organisation Climate Observatory, said, "The data shows that it didn’t work". “No army operation will be able to mask or reverse the attacks of the federal government against the forest.”

Deforestation in Amazon forest hits the highest annual level in a decade

Hundreds of people went missing and more than 150&nbsp;died as unprecedented floods hit Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands this week.

The freak weather came just days after some parts of Europe witnessed yet another unusually hot summer.

Climate change is here, and it is here to stay.

And world leaders are doing catch-up, decades after scientists sounded the warning.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/in-pics-fatal-flooding-in-western-germany-398443">In Pics | Fatal flooding in Western Germany</a>

This past week, European Union policymakers unveiled their most ambitious plan yet to tackle climate change, aiming to turn green goals into concrete action this decade, and in doing so lead the way for the world's other big economies.

While the bloc produces as much as 8 per cent of global emissions, it hopes its example will elicit ambitious action from other major economies when they meet in November in Glasgow for the next milestone UN climate conference.

However, poorer member states are wary of anything that will raise costs for the consumer, while regions that depend on coal-fired power plants and mines want guarantees of more support for a transformation that will cause dislocation and require mass retraining.

According to the UN's Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI), this year, Australia has ranked among the top three countries for exported greenhouse gas emissions per capita and among the top 10 nations for per capita fossil fuel use.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-australian-court-pulls-up-government-for-climate-change-387879/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

It ranked second-worst for carbon pricing scores, between first-ranking Chile and the United States. The ranking is based on four indicators: per capita emissions from fossil fuel combustion, per capita CO2 emissions embodied in imports, per capita CO2 emissions embodied in exports, and carbon pricing score.

And yet, the county is in denial.

Australia took a group of ambassadors snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef on Thursday in a last-minute lobbying effort to keep the World Heritage site off UNESCO's endangered list.

Why? To keep the revenues generated by it, because an 'endangered' listing would mean Australia not being able to milk the reef's tourism potential.&nbsp;

Aside from its inestimable natural, scientific and environmental value, the 2,300-kilometre-long (1,400-mile) reef was worth an estimated $4.8 billion a year in tourism revenue for the Australian economy before the coronavirus pandemic.

Australia should have seen it coming. There have been several so-called 'bleaching incidents' of the reef's corals, which are very ecologically sensitive. Several warnings had been issued in the past.

And there has been no dearth of warnings about the impacts of climate change on people and the planet.

Nearly nine in 10 leading global climate economists think climate change will deepen income inequality between rich and poor countries, with most calling for urgent action to cut planet-warming emissions.

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According to the World Bank, without the right policies to keep the poor safe from extreme weather and rising seas, climate change could drive over 100 million more people into poverty by 2030.

Scientists have warned that failure to curb the world’s still-growing emissions could lead to crises from food and water shortages to worsening weather disasters and sea-level rise.

The growing impacts of climate change have already pushed more than 18 million people to migrate within South Asian countries, but that could more than triple if global warming continues on its current path.

Nearly 63 million people could be forced from their homes by 2050 in the region as rising seas and rivers swallow villages, and drought-hit land no longer supports crops, said ActionAid International and Climate Action Network South Asia in a report.

Researchers believe Indian monsoons are likely to become stronger and more erratic if global warming continues unchecked, threatening farming and incomes across the region

Monsoon rains will likely increase by about 5 per cent&nbsp;for every degree Celsius of warming, found the study of more than 30 state-of-the-art climate models from around the world, published in the journal Earth System Dynamics.

What are countries doing about it, beyond token statements?

India is examining setting a target of net zero emissions by 2050, according to media reports. An earlier ambition of 2047, to coincide with 100 years of independence, is being discussed among senior officials in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office.

If India does end up setting a target of no later than 2050, it will trump China's promise of 2060 and match the ambition set out by new US President Joe Biden.

Governments face a struggle to inject momentum into efforts to curb global warming, dogged by lack of consensus, scepticism and disruptive protests demanding more action.

Policymakers are under pressure as more extreme weather events, such as record floods in Europe and wildfires in Australia, Canada and the US, are linked to climate change.

According to many scientists, Russia, especially its Siberian and Arctic regions, is among the countries most exposed to climate change.

Russia has set numerous records in recent years and in June 2020 registered 38 degrees Celsius (100.4 degrees Fahrenheit) in the town of Verkhoyansk, the highest temperature recorded above the Arctic circle since measurements began.

The rising mercury levels have contributed to devastating floods and forest fires that have affected Siberia with increasing regularity.

They are also contributing to the melting of permafrost, which covers about two-thirds of Russia's vast territory.

The share of fossil fuels in the world's total energy mix is as high as a decade ago, despite the falling cost of renewables and pressure on governments to act on climate change, a report by green energy policy network REN21 showed.

Meanwhile, oil companies are dragging their feet on fighting climate change and are confronting pushback from investors and courts on policy change.

Investor support for climate concerns could force oil and gas companies to rethink how fast they pivot to other forms of energy.

There is now a 40 per cent chance that global temperatures will temporarily reach 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels in the next five years and these odds are rising, as per a UN report.

This does not yet mean that the world would already be crossing the long-term warming 1.5-degree Celsius threshold set by the Paris Climate Accord, which scientists warn is the ceiling to avoid the most catastrophic effects of climate change.&nbsp;

The Paris Accord target looks at temperature over a 30-year average, rather than a single year.

But it does underscore that "we are getting measurably and inexorably closer" to that threshold, according to World Meteorological Organization Secretary-General Petteri Taalas.

The next decade will require bigger adjustments, with a long-term eye on 2050, seen by scientists as a deadline for the world to reach net-zero carbon emissions or risk climate change becoming catastrophic.

While leaders have ignored climate change for as long as they can, citizens are ensuring that they wake up now.

In a handful of countries, they are suing their governments for negligence.

Leaders have ignored climate crisis till it literally banged on their doors in the form of floods and fires.

Here is hoping that they will&nbsp;feel the pinch at least now, when it is so close to their own skins.

Hundreds of people went missing and more than 150 died as unprecedented floods hit Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands this week. The freak weather came just days after some parts of Europe witnessed yet another unusually hot summer.

Hundreds of people went missing and more than 150 died as unprecedented floods hit Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands this week. The freak weather came just days after some parts of Europe witnessed yet another unusually hot summer. Climate change is here, and it is here to stay. And world leaders are doing catch-up, decades after scientists sounded the warning. In Pics | Fatal flooding in Western Germany This past week, European Union policymakers unveiled their most ambitious plan yet to tackle climate change, aiming to turn green goals into concrete action this decade, and in doing so lead the way for the world's other big economies. While the bloc produces as much as 8 per cent of global emissions, it hopes its example will elicit ambitious action from other major economies when they meet in November in Glasgow for the next milestone UN climate conference. However, poorer member states are wary of anything that will raise costs for the consumer, while regions that depend on coal-fired power plants and mines want guarantees of more support for a transformation that will cause dislocation and require mass retraining. According to the UN's Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI), this year, Australia has ranked among the top three countries for exported greenhouse gas emissions per capita and among the top 10 nations for per capita fossil fuel use. It ranked second-worst for carbon pricing scores, between first-ranking Chile and the United States. The ranking is based on four indicators: per capita emissions from fossil fuel combustion, per capita CO2 emissions embodied in imports, per capita CO2 emissions embodied in exports, and carbon pricing score. And yet, the county is in denial. Australia took a group of ambassadors snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef on Thursday in a last-minute lobbying effort to keep the World Heritage site off UNESCO's endangered list. Why? To keep the revenues generated by it, because an 'endangered' listing would mean Australia not being able to milk the reef's tourism potential. Aside from its inestimable natural, scientific and environmental value, the 2,300-kilometre-long (1,400-mile) reef was worth an estimated $4.8 billion a year in tourism revenue for the Australian economy before the coronavirus pandemic. Australia should have seen it coming. There have been several so-called 'bleaching incidents' of the reef's corals, which are very ecologically sensitive. Several warnings had been issued in the past. And there has been no dearth of warnings about the impacts of climate change on people and the planet. Nearly nine in 10 leading global climate economists think climate change will deepen income inequality between rich and poor countries, with most calling for urgent action to cut planet-warming emissions. View this post on Instagram A post shared by UN Climate Change (@unclimatechange) According to the World Bank, without the right policies to keep the poor safe from extreme weather and rising seas, climate change could drive over 100 million more people into poverty by 2030. Scientists have warned that failure to curb the world’s still-growing emissions could lead to crises from food and water shortages to worsening weather disasters and sea-level rise. The growing impacts of climate change have already pushed more than 18 million people to migrate within South Asian countries, but that could more than triple if global warming continues on its current path. Nearly 63 million people could be forced from their homes by 2050 in the region as rising seas and rivers swallow villages, and drought-hit land no longer supports crops, said ActionAid International and Climate Action Network South Asia in a report. Researchers believe Indian monsoons are likely to become stronger and more erratic if global warming continues unchecked, threatening farming and incomes across the region Monsoon rains will likely increase by about 5 per cent for every degree Celsius of warming, found the study of more than 30 state-of-the-art climate models from around the world, published in the journal Earth System Dynamics. What are countries doing about it, beyond token statements? India is examining setting a target of net zero emissions by 2050, according to media reports. An earlier ambition of 2047, to coincide with 100 years of independence, is being discussed among senior officials in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office. If India does end up setting a target of no later than 2050, it will trump China's promise of 2060 and match the ambition set out by new US President Joe Biden. Governments face a struggle to inject momentum into efforts to curb global warming, dogged by lack of consensus, scepticism and disruptive protests demanding more action. Policymakers are under pressure as more extreme weather events, such as record floods in Europe and wildfires in Australia, Canada and the US, are linked to climate change. According to many scientists, Russia, especially its Siberian and Arctic regions, is among the countries most exposed to climate change. Russia has set numerous records in recent years and in June 2020 registered 38 degrees Celsius (100.4 degrees Fahrenheit) in the town of Verkhoyansk, the highest temperature recorded above the Arctic circle since measurements began. The rising mercury levels have contributed to devastating floods and forest fires that have affected Siberia with increasing regularity. They are also contributing to the melting of permafrost, which covers about two-thirds of Russia's vast territory. The share of fossil fuels in the world's total energy mix is as high as a decade ago, despite the falling cost of renewables and pressure on governments to act on climate change, a report by green energy policy network REN21 showed. Meanwhile, oil companies are dragging their feet on fighting climate change and are confronting pushback from investors and courts on policy change. Investor support for climate concerns could force oil and gas companies to rethink how fast they pivot to other forms of energy. There is now a 40 per cent chance that global temperatures will temporarily reach 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels in the next five years and these odds are rising, as per a UN report. This does not yet mean that the world would already be crossing the long-term warming 1.5-degree Celsius threshold set by the Paris Climate Accord, which scientists warn is the ceiling to avoid the most catastrophic effects of climate change. The Paris Accord target looks at temperature over a 30-year average, rather than a single year. But it does underscore that "we are getting measurably and inexorably closer" to that threshold, according to World Meteorological Organization Secretary-General Petteri Taalas. The next decade will require bigger adjustments, with a long-term eye on 2050, seen by scientists as a deadline for the world to reach net-zero carbon emissions or risk climate change becoming catastrophic. While leaders have ignored climate change for as long as they can, citizens are ensuring that they wake up now. In a handful of countries, they are suing their governments for negligence. Leaders have ignored climate crisis till it literally banged on their doors in the form of floods and fires. Here is hoping that they will feel the pinch at least now, when it is so close to their own skins.

Many leaders slept on climate crisis. Will they act on what they feel on their skins now?

Deforestation is a global environmental problem. In this episode of Mission Sustainability, we will discuss about what causes deforestation and how does it affects the ecosystem?

Mission Sustainability: Deforestation- A Global Environmental Problem

A countrywide campaign to save Ghana's diminishing forest reserves kicked off with a major drive to plant five million trees.

The government offered free seedlings to people from all walks of life, including celebrities, politicians, lawmakers, traditional leaders, and schoolchildren, as part of the "Green Ghana" campaign.

According to environmentalists, the increase of farming, and to a lesser extent mining and logging, has resulted in significant levels of deforestation in Ghana.

According to Forestry Commission estimates, forest cover in the West African gold miner has decreased to less than a fifth of what it was in the 1990s.&nbsp; 
 
<img alt="ghana" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="34943ccf-d77f-4283-8e19-cc824a52f0c5" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/afp-ghana.JPG" />

President Nana Akufo-Addo planted a commemorative tree in the garden of Jubilee House, the official seat in the capital, Accra, along with religious and philanthropic organisations and chiefs of several ethnic groups.&nbsp;

Samuel Abu Jinapor, lands and natural resources minister of Ghana said that “The aim of Green Ghana is to save us now and our future generations. We can’t fail our future leaders.”

Ghana is one of the tropical countries in the world with the highest rate of rainforest loss.

According to government figures, Ghana's current forest cover is 1.6 million hectares (about 4 million acres), down from 8.2 million hectares (20 million acres) in 1900.&nbsp;

Small-scale gold mining and uncontrolled tree felling without appropriate regeneration have wreaked havoc on the country's ecosystem.

A countrywide campaign to save Ghana's diminishing forest reserves kicked off with a major drive to plant five million trees. The government offered free seedlings to people from all walks of life, including celebrities, politicians, lawmakers, traditional leaders, and schoolchildren, as part of the "Green Ghana" campaign.

A countrywide campaign to save Ghana's diminishing forest reserves kicked off with a major drive to plant five million trees. The government offered free seedlings to people from all walks of life, including celebrities, politicians, lawmakers, traditional leaders, and schoolchildren, as part of the "Green Ghana" campaign. According to environmentalists, the increase of farming, and to a lesser extent mining and logging, has resulted in significant levels of deforestation in Ghana. According to Forestry Commission estimates, forest cover in the West African gold miner has decreased to less than a fifth of what it was in the 1990s. President Nana Akufo-Addo planted a commemorative tree in the garden of Jubilee House, the official seat in the capital, Accra, along with religious and philanthropic organisations and chiefs of several ethnic groups. Samuel Abu Jinapor, lands and natural resources minister of Ghana said that “The aim of Green Ghana is to save us now and our future generations. We can’t fail our future leaders.” Ghana is one of the tropical countries in the world with the highest rate of rainforest loss. According to government figures, Ghana's current forest cover is 1.6 million hectares (about 4 million acres), down from 8.2 million hectares (20 million acres) in 1900. Small-scale gold mining and uncontrolled tree felling without appropriate regeneration have wreaked havoc on the country's ecosystem.

Global warming: Ghana plants 5 million trees in a day to fight forest depletion

In a case pertaining to alleged forest encroachment by a private resort in the Nilgiris district, Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamuoorthy of the Maras High Court firmly said that not even an inch of forest land must be encroached.

The Court also instructed the concerned collector and the forest department officials to visit the spot and ensure that every bit of forest land is returned to its pristine status.&nbsp;

Prabhakaran, the petitioner, approached the court citing encroachment of forest land by an under-construction private resort. The said property is situated in the Naduvattom town, in the ecologically sensitive Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/semi-wild-elephants-undergo-covid-19-testing-after-9-lions-test-positive-in-indian-zoo-390139" hreflang="en">Semi-wild elephants undergo COVID-19 testing after 9 lions test positive in Indian zoo</a>

As per the petitioner, such encroachment has led to habitat destruction, damage to ecosystem, flora and fauna, deforestation and disruption in the natural flow of water. He also added that this brought with it the long-term risk of landslides.

According to Prabhakaran, no action was taken in this regard, despite the wrongdoings being brought to the notice of the forest authorities. He was, thus, only left with the option of approaching the court. His petition sought disconnection of power line to the alleged erring resort and also wanted the court to prohibit amassing of construction material in the forest area. He also urged that a survey be carried out in the area to demarcate the forest land.&nbsp;

The court instructed the Nilgiris District Collector and Forest department officials to visit the spot, insect it and retrieve the encroached land. The officials were also instructed to provide a report on this matter and ensure that water from the forest is not diverted to private resorts. The case has been adjourned for three weeks.

In a case pertaining to alleged forest encroachment by a private resort in the Nilgiris district, Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamuoorthy of the Maras High Court firmly said that not even an inch of forest land must be encroached.

In a case pertaining to alleged forest encroachment by a private resort in the Nilgiris district, Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamuoorthy of the Maras High Court firmly said that not even an inch of forest land must be encroached. The Court also instructed the concerned collector and the forest department officials to visit the spot and ensure that every bit of forest land is returned to its pristine status. Prabhakaran, the petitioner, approached the court citing encroachment of forest land by an under-construction private resort. The said property is situated in the Naduvattom town, in the ecologically sensitive Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu. Also read | Semi-wild elephants undergo COVID-19 testing after 9 lions test positive in Indian zoo As per the petitioner, such encroachment has led to habitat destruction, damage to ecosystem, flora and fauna, deforestation and disruption in the natural flow of water. He also added that this brought with it the long-term risk of landslides. According to Prabhakaran, no action was taken in this regard, despite the wrongdoings being brought to the notice of the forest authorities. He was, thus, only left with the option of approaching the court. His petition sought disconnection of power line to the alleged erring resort and also wanted the court to prohibit amassing of construction material in the forest area. He also urged that a survey be carried out in the area to demarcate the forest land. The court instructed the Nilgiris District Collector and Forest department officials to visit the spot, insect it and retrieve the encroached land. The officials were also instructed to provide a report on this matter and ensure that water from the forest is not diverted to private resorts. The case has been adjourned for three weeks.

Not one inch of forest should be encroached upon, says Madras High Court

As climate activists raise concerns about the disappearing greens from the face of the Earth, research has revealed that an area of forest the size of France has been regrown over the years.

As per research conducted by Trillion Trees led by WWF, nearly 59 million hectares of forests have regrown since the year 2000 all over the world.

This study was commissioned in 2018 and used satellite imaging data and also conducted on-ground surveys in dozens of countries. Through this, the researchers identified areas such as the Atlantic forest in Brazil where greens gave regrown the size of the Netherlands.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/marine-animals-thought-extinct-for-273-million-years-found-in-pacific-ocean-384121" hreflang="en">Marine animals thought extinct for 273 million years found in Pacific Ocean!</a>

"The&nbsp;Mata Atlântica, or Atlantic Forest, along the coast of South America was once one of the natural wonders of the world. Stretching from Northern Brazil to Argentina, it occupied more than a million square kilometres, harbouring an unparalleled variety of life," the study read.

The boreal forests of Mongolia have also seen regrowth of nearly 1.2mn hectares of forest. This has been possible solely due to the Mongolian government and a group of conservationists. Similarly, central Africa and Canada have also seen the regrowth of forests.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/deforestation-of-brazilian-amazon-hits-record-in-april-383654" hreflang="en">Deforestation of Brazilian Amazon hits record in April</a>

Researchers are hoping this research will help experts "understand the local parameters that may have allowed or encouraged natural regeneration," stated the report.

While the regrowth has come as a good sign, the researchers have warned that the Earth is still losing forests "at a terrifying rate".

A few previous researchers have warned that due to deforestation, the world is losing at least forest area as big as the UK every year, which is mainly to fulfil the demand for timber and for agricultural activities.

"The science is clear – if we are to avoid dangerous climate change and turn around the loss of nature, we must both halt deforestation and restore natural forests," said William Baldwin-Cantello, director of nature-based solutions at WWF. "We've known for a long time that natural forest regeneration is often cheaper, richer in carbon and better for biodiversity than actively planted forests, and this research tells us where and why regeneration is happening, and how we can recreate those conditions elsewhere."

However, he also warned that regeneration cannot be taken for granted as deforestation is still one of the biggest problems the Earth faces.

As climate activists raise concerns about the disappearing greens from the face of the Earth, research has revealed that an area of forest the size of France has been regrown over the years.

As climate activists raise concerns about the disappearing greens from the face of the Earth, research has revealed that an area of forest the size of France has been regrown over the years. As per research conducted by Trillion Trees led by WWF, nearly 59 million hectares of forests have regrown since the year 2000 all over the world. This study was commissioned in 2018 and used satellite imaging data and also conducted on-ground surveys in dozens of countries. Through this, the researchers identified areas such as the Atlantic forest in Brazil where greens gave regrown the size of the Netherlands. Also read | Marine animals thought extinct for 273 million years found in Pacific Ocean! "The Mata Atlântica, or Atlantic Forest, along the coast of South America was once one of the natural wonders of the world. Stretching from Northern Brazil to Argentina, it occupied more than a million square kilometres, harbouring an unparalleled variety of life," the study read. The boreal forests of Mongolia have also seen regrowth of nearly 1.2mn hectares of forest. This has been possible solely due to the Mongolian government and a group of conservationists. Similarly, central Africa and Canada have also seen the regrowth of forests. Also read | Deforestation of Brazilian Amazon hits record in April Researchers are hoping this research will help experts "understand the local parameters that may have allowed or encouraged natural regeneration," stated the report. While the regrowth has come as a good sign, the researchers have warned that the Earth is still losing forests "at a terrifying rate". A few previous researchers have warned that due to deforestation, the world is losing at least forest area as big as the UK every year, which is mainly to fulfil the demand for timber and for agricultural activities. "The science is clear – if we are to avoid dangerous climate change and turn around the loss of nature, we must both halt deforestation and restore natural forests," said William Baldwin-Cantello, director of nature-based solutions at WWF. "We've known for a long time that natural forest regeneration is often cheaper, richer in carbon and better for biodiversity than actively planted forests, and this research tells us where and why regeneration is happening, and how we can recreate those conditions elsewhere." However, he also warned that regeneration cannot be taken for granted as deforestation is still one of the biggest problems the Earth faces.

France-sized forest regrown over 20 years: Study

Deforestation&nbsp;of the&nbsp;Brazilian&nbsp;Amazon&nbsp;hit a&nbsp;record&nbsp;last month, the government reported Friday with figures that belie President Jair Bolsonaro's pledge to crack down on such destruction.

The area of the rainforest that was destroyed -- 580 square kilometers (225 square miles) -- marked a new high for the month of&nbsp;April&nbsp;and a 42.5 per cent on-year rise, according to satellite monitoring by the&nbsp;Brazilian&nbsp;space agency INPE. Its data goes back to 2015.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="Deforestation in world's largest rainforest Amazon rose 17% in 'dire' 2020">Deforestation in world's largest rainforest Amazon rose 17% in 'dire' 2020</a>

The level for March was also higher than 12 months earlier, and followed two months of decline in the rainy season when logging activity decreases.

From January through&nbsp;April&nbsp;29, however, the cutting of trees to provide lumber and clear land for agriculture was down 3.9 percent compared to the same period in 2020, INPE said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="Tropical forest destruction accelerated in 2020">Tropical forest destruction accelerated in 2020</a>

The dry season, which peaks in July and August, is when most&nbsp;deforestation&nbsp;happens.

Records have been set in the past three dry seasons, INPE said.

The&nbsp;Amazon, the world's biggest rainforest, is considered vital to curbing climate change because of the carbon dioxide it absorbs from the atmosphere.

About 60 per cent of the rainforest is in Brazil.

"Right now it is not possible to say what will happen but in 2021 there could be a fourth straight&nbsp;deforestation&nbsp;record," said the Climate Observatory, a group of 63 NGOs and social organisations.

Bolsonaro, a far-right climate change skeptic, came to power in 2019 encouraging commercial exploitation of the rainforest and calling conservation groups "cancer."

However, last month he pledged to "eliminate illegal&nbsp;deforestation&nbsp;in Brazil by 2030," 10 years earlier than initially planned.&nbsp;

Environmental NGOs have expressed doubt that Brazil under Bolsonaro will live up to this pledge.

"In 2021 there is no federal effort to control&nbsp;deforestation," the Climate Observatory said.&nbsp;

The government agency that carries out inspections in the&nbsp;Amazon&nbsp;"is doing nothing" and the process of punishing violators has been halted, it added.

A study published last week by the journal Nature Climate Change said the&nbsp;Brazilian&nbsp;Amazon&nbsp;released nearly 20 percent more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere over the last decade than it absorbed.

This report shows humanity can no longer depend on the world's largest tropical forest to help absorb man-made carbon pollution.&nbsp;

Deforestation of the Brazilian Amazon hit a record last month, the government reported Friday with figures that belie President Jair Bolsonaro's pledge to crack down on such destruction.

Deforestation of the Brazilian Amazon hit a record last month, the government reported Friday with figures that belie President Jair Bolsonaro's pledge to crack down on such destruction. The area of the rainforest that was destroyed -- 580 square kilometers (225 square miles) -- marked a new high for the month of April and a 42.5 per cent on-year rise, according to satellite monitoring by the Brazilian space agency INPE. Its data goes back to 2015. Also read | Deforestation in world's largest rainforest Amazon rose 17% in 'dire' 2020 The level for March was also higher than 12 months earlier, and followed two months of decline in the rainy season when logging activity decreases. From January through April 29, however, the cutting of trees to provide lumber and clear land for agriculture was down 3.9 percent compared to the same period in 2020, INPE said. Also read | Tropical forest destruction accelerated in 2020 The dry season, which peaks in July and August, is when most deforestation happens. Records have been set in the past three dry seasons, INPE said. The Amazon, the world's biggest rainforest, is considered vital to curbing climate change because of the carbon dioxide it absorbs from the atmosphere. About 60 per cent of the rainforest is in Brazil. "Right now it is not possible to say what will happen but in 2021 there could be a fourth straight deforestation record," said the Climate Observatory, a group of 63 NGOs and social organisations. Bolsonaro, a far-right climate change skeptic, came to power in 2019 encouraging commercial exploitation of the rainforest and calling conservation groups "cancer." However, last month he pledged to "eliminate illegal deforestation in Brazil by 2030," 10 years earlier than initially planned. Environmental NGOs have expressed doubt that Brazil under Bolsonaro will live up to this pledge. "In 2021 there is no federal effort to control deforestation," the Climate Observatory said. The government agency that carries out inspections in the Amazon "is doing nothing" and the process of punishing violators has been halted, it added. A study published last week by the journal Nature Climate Change said the Brazilian Amazon released nearly 20 percent more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere over the last decade than it absorbed. This report shows humanity can no longer depend on the world's largest tropical forest to help absorb man-made carbon pollution.

Deforestation of Brazilian Amazon hits record in April

After growing concerns of underpopulation, Kenya now takes the help of 'seed balls' to fight the problem of deforestation. These seed balls contain cassia seeds that are helping regrow Kenya's depleted forests. WION tells you more.

Kenya depends on 'seed balls' to fight deforestation

A German court on Friday ruled in favour of Elon Musk’s Tesla to partially clear forested land to build a manufacturing site near Berlin.

Earlier, environmentalists had criticised the company’s plans to clear the forest, claiming that the move could endanger hibernating reptiles in the area.

Activists had gone to court in the eastern city of Frankfurt an der Oder to prevent the company from clearing the land.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/business-economy/tesla-teams-to-visit-indonesia-to-check-on-investment-in-ev-components-government-349271" hreflang="en">Tesla teams to visit Indonesia to check on investment in EV components-government</a>

When the case was being studied by a regional court, the razing plans remained at halt. The Berlin-Brandenburg Higher Administrative Court on Friday said that it would ban the razing of forested area by Tesla in the regions of the site, giving a nod to activists

The court added that further stoppage of razing could not be justified.&nbsp; Tesla has not addressed the ruling so far.

Essential workers

In a first, Tesla factory workers based in California will be counted as 'essential workers' and will be exempted from&nbsp;new coronavirus restrictions in the state.

The decision has been taken as the state is inching towards new coronavirus restrictions, which will be initiated from this weekend. The authorities let the Tesla workers be exempted as earlier Elon Musk had argued that manufacturing is listed as an essential workforce.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/elon-musks-diverse-tesla-employs-79-male-workforce-348088" hreflang="en">Elon Musk's 'diverse' Tesla employs 79% male workforce</a>

"The limited stay-at-home order does not apply to employees deemed essential workers — manufacturing is listed as an essential workforce," said California's Department of Public Health, specifying in particular transport products and equipment.

The exemption has been granted on the condition that Musk's factories will ensure all necessary health guidelines and will make sure the employees are provided all the basic precautions and facilities needed to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.

A German court on Friday ruled in favour of Elon Musk’s Tesla to partially clear forested land to build a manufacturing site near Berlin. Earlier, environmentalists had criticised the company’s plans to clear the forest, claiming that the move could endanger hibernating reptiles in the area.

A German court on Friday ruled in favour of Elon Musk’s Tesla to partially clear forested land to build a manufacturing site near Berlin. Earlier, environmentalists had criticised the company’s plans to clear the forest, claiming that the move could endanger hibernating reptiles in the area. Activists had gone to court in the eastern city of Frankfurt an der Oder to prevent the company from clearing the land. Also read: Tesla teams to visit Indonesia to check on investment in EV components-government When the case was being studied by a regional court, the razing plans remained at halt. The Berlin-Brandenburg Higher Administrative Court on Friday said that it would ban the razing of forested area by Tesla in the regions of the site, giving a nod to activists The court added that further stoppage of razing could not be justified. Tesla has not addressed the ruling so far. Essential workers In a first, Tesla factory workers based in California will be counted as 'essential workers' and will be exempted from new coronavirus restrictions in the state. The decision has been taken as the state is inching towards new coronavirus restrictions, which will be initiated from this weekend. The authorities let the Tesla workers be exempted as earlier Elon Musk had argued that manufacturing is listed as an essential workforce. Also read: Elon Musk's 'diverse' Tesla employs 79% male workforce "The limited stay-at-home order does not apply to employees deemed essential workers — manufacturing is listed as an essential workforce," said California's Department of Public Health, specifying in particular transport products and equipment. The exemption has been granted on the condition that Musk's factories will ensure all necessary health guidelines and will make sure the employees are provided all the basic precautions and facilities needed to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.

German court allows Tesla to partially clear forest for a new factory

Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon surged again over the past year, hitting a 12-year high, according to official figures released Monday that drew a chorus of condemnation of President Jair Bolsonaro's government.

A total of 11,088 square kilometers (4,281 square miles) of forest was destroyed in Brazil's share of the world's biggest rainforest in the 12 months to August, according to the Brazilian space agency's PRODES monitoring program, which analyzes satellite images to track deforestation.

That is equivalent to an area larger than Jamaica, and was a 9.5-per cent increase from the previous year, when deforestation also hit a more than decade-long high.

Also read|<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/losses-for-bolsonaro-wins-for-center-right-in-brazil-local-polls-346375">&nbsp;Losses for Bolsonaro, wins for center-right in Brazil local polls</a>

"Because of such deforestation, Brazil is probably the only major greenhouse gas emitter that managed to increase its emissions in the year the coronavirus pandemic paralyzed the global economy," said the Brazilian Climate Observatory, a coalition of environmental groups.

Forests such as the Amazon play a vital role in controlling climate change because they suck carbon from the atmosphere. However, when trees die or burn, they release their carbon back into the environment.

Bolsonaro, a far-right climate-change skeptic, has presided over rising deforestation and wildfires since taking office in January 2019.

His government is pushing to open protected lands to mining and agribusiness, and has slashed funding for environmental protection programs.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/brazilian-president-jair-bolsonaro-alleges-lot-of-fraud-in-us-election-2020-346316">Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro alleges 'lot of fraud' in US election 2020</a>

Environmentalists say those policies fuel the destruction of the Amazon, about 60 percent of which is in Brazil.

"The Bolsonaro government's vision of development for the Amazon is a throwback to the rampant deforestation of the past. It's a regressive vision that's far from the effort needed to deal with the climate crisis," Greenpeace spokeswoman Cristiane Mazzetti said in a statement.

Vice President Hamilton Mourao, who presented the figures in a press conference, defended the government's committment to fighting deforestation.

"The message I bring in the name of President Bolsonaro is that we will continue working with science and technology to support the work of environmental protection agencies," said Mourao, a retired army general who heads Bolsonaro's Amazon task force.

The latest annual deforestation figure was the highest since 2008, when 12,911 square kilometers of forest were destroyed in the Brazilian Amazon.

Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon surged again over the past year, hitting a 12-year high, according to official figures released Monday that drew a chorus of condemnation of President Jair Bolsonaro's government.

Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon surged again over the past year, hitting a 12-year high, according to official figures released Monday that drew a chorus of condemnation of President Jair Bolsonaro's government. A total of 11,088 square kilometers (4,281 square miles) of forest was destroyed in Brazil's share of the world's biggest rainforest in the 12 months to August, according to the Brazilian space agency's PRODES monitoring program, which analyzes satellite images to track deforestation. That is equivalent to an area larger than Jamaica, and was a 9.5-per cent increase from the previous year, when deforestation also hit a more than decade-long high. Also read| Losses for Bolsonaro, wins for center-right in Brazil local polls "Because of such deforestation, Brazil is probably the only major greenhouse gas emitter that managed to increase its emissions in the year the coronavirus pandemic paralyzed the global economy," said the Brazilian Climate Observatory, a coalition of environmental groups. Forests such as the Amazon play a vital role in controlling climate change because they suck carbon from the atmosphere. However, when trees die or burn, they release their carbon back into the environment. Bolsonaro, a far-right climate-change skeptic, has presided over rising deforestation and wildfires since taking office in January 2019. His government is pushing to open protected lands to mining and agribusiness, and has slashed funding for environmental protection programs. Also read| Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro alleges 'lot of fraud' in US election 2020 Environmentalists say those policies fuel the destruction of the Amazon, about 60 percent of which is in Brazil. "The Bolsonaro government's vision of development for the Amazon is a throwback to the rampant deforestation of the past. It's a regressive vision that's far from the effort needed to deal with the climate crisis," Greenpeace spokeswoman Cristiane Mazzetti said in a statement. Vice President Hamilton Mourao, who presented the figures in a press conference, defended the government's committment to fighting deforestation. "The message I bring in the name of President Bolsonaro is that we will continue working with science and technology to support the work of environmental protection agencies," said Mourao, a retired army general who heads Bolsonaro's Amazon task force. The latest annual deforestation figure was the highest since 2008, when 12,911 square kilometers of forest were destroyed in the Brazilian Amazon.

Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon skyrockets to 12-year high under Bolsonaro

According to a World Bank report, Ghana’s annual deforestation rate is around 3.51%, to help reverse the damage, a Ghana project is promoting sustainable forestry through timber, seedling and essential oil sales and educational tours.

Ghana: Youth help in bettering Ghana's ecological future

Do you think 2020 is the peak of dystopia? Buckle up, because things may just go worse at any moment, or a few decades, at least!

The planet is facing&nbsp;a lot of crises - for starters, climate change is causing unpredictable weather changes across the globe, setting off unprecedented&nbsp;extreme events, like unstoppable fires in Australia and the US, the mind boggling levels of pollution in India, and the record deforestation and fires in the Amazon - the planet’s lungs!&nbsp;

Resource depletion

Owing to a combination of natural factors and human action, natural resources may be depleted to a point of no return, and the resources available at hand may not be enough to sustain the entire planet’s population in the coming decades.

Reported first by VICE, two theoretical physicists have concluded that human society as we know it is set on a self-destruct path within the next two to four decades.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/science/climate-crisis-could-displace-12-billion-people-by-2050-report-warns-326608" hreflang="en">Climate crisis could displace 1.2 billion people by 2050, report warns</a>

The researchers come from Chile and the UK, and published their findings in Nature Scientific. To ascertain the probable time for social collapse, they employed statistical modelling to understand how growing human population and depletion of resources will bring only bad news to society in general.

This is what the authors wrote in the study’s abstract - "Based on the current resource consumption rates and best estimate of technological rate growth our study shows that we have very low probability, less than 10 percent in most optimistic estimate, to survive without facing a catastrophic collapse”.&nbsp;

Deforestation, and what it means for us

The primary cause of this downfall, according to them, would be due to deforestation. Climate crisis is increasing sea levels, causing bizarre weather, flooding, natural calamities. But the authors took into account deforestation primarily, because it is simply more measurable.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/india-news/our-planet-is-dying-soon-meet-indias-youngest-climate-change-activist-330891" hreflang="en">'Our planet is dying soon': Meet India's youngest climate change activist</a>

Based on the current rate of deforestation, all forests would be gone from the face of the planet in 100-200 years. Think this a long time? You’re wrong. We’re already feeling the effects of large-scale irresponsible deforestation, and scientists believe its signs and symptoms will become more apparent over time, that the collapse would not be a one-off event.

Due to rampant depletion in resources, we could lose basic support systems required for survival including oxygen production, conservation of soil, and regulation of water cycle, among many!

We’ve already gone from 60 million square kilometres of forests to 40 million square kilometres. In essence, no forests - no humans!

Do you think 2020 is the peak of dystopia? Buckle up, because things may just go worse at any moment, or a few decades, at least! The planet is facing a lot of crises - for starters, climate change is causing unpredictable weather changes across the globe, setting off unprecedented extreme events, like unstoppable fires in Australia and the US, the mind boggling levels of pollution in India, and the record deforestation and fires in the Amazon - the planet’s lungs!

Do you think 2020 is the peak of dystopia? Buckle up, because things may just go worse at any moment, or a few decades, at least! The planet is facing a lot of crises - for starters, climate change is causing unpredictable weather changes across the globe, setting off unprecedented extreme events, like unstoppable fires in Australia and the US, the mind boggling levels of pollution in India, and the record deforestation and fires in the Amazon - the planet’s lungs! Resource depletion Owing to a combination of natural factors and human action, natural resources may be depleted to a point of no return, and the resources available at hand may not be enough to sustain the entire planet’s population in the coming decades. Reported first by VICE, two theoretical physicists have concluded that human society as we know it is set on a self-destruct path within the next two to four decades. Also read: Climate crisis could displace 1.2 billion people by 2050, report warns The researchers come from Chile and the UK, and published their findings in Nature Scientific. To ascertain the probable time for social collapse, they employed statistical modelling to understand how growing human population and depletion of resources will bring only bad news to society in general. This is what the authors wrote in the study’s abstract - "Based on the current resource consumption rates and best estimate of technological rate growth our study shows that we have very low probability, less than 10 percent in most optimistic estimate, to survive without facing a catastrophic collapse”. Deforestation, and what it means for us The primary cause of this downfall, according to them, would be due to deforestation. Climate crisis is increasing sea levels, causing bizarre weather, flooding, natural calamities. But the authors took into account deforestation primarily, because it is simply more measurable. Also read: 'Our planet is dying soon': Meet India's youngest climate change activist Based on the current rate of deforestation, all forests would be gone from the face of the planet in 100-200 years. Think this a long time? You’re wrong. We’re already feeling the effects of large-scale irresponsible deforestation, and scientists believe its signs and symptoms will become more apparent over time, that the collapse would not be a one-off event. Due to rampant depletion in resources, we could lose basic support systems required for survival including oxygen production, conservation of soil, and regulation of water cycle, among many! We’ve already gone from 60 million square kilometres of forests to 40 million square kilometres. In essence, no forests - no humans!

Human society has 90% chance of collapsing in the next few decades. But why?

Amazon rainforest has been in the headlines lately owing to the record rate of deforestation in the region, which threatens local human and animal habitats, while increasing the risk of natural disasters.

Given the current scenario, it also makes tribal forest populations vulnerable to COVID-19. And these areas are hard to reach, with minimal healthcare in these regions.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/world/amazon-tribe-releases-hostages-after-body-of-leader-returned-310912" hreflang="en">Amazon tribe releases hostages after body of leader returned</a>

In the backdrop of global outcry over Bolsonaro government’s stance and policies on the Amazon forest, the administration recently fired a national space agency official. The agency, Inpe is responsible for monitoring the rainforest via satellites, which has divulged data of mass deforestation and exploitation, even as global scientists call for preservation as an immediate call of the hour.

Increased deforestation

The data from June shows how deforestation hasn’t slowed down during the pandemic, but rather increased.

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The official, Lubia Vinhas was the general-coordinator of Brazilian space agency Inpe’s Earth Observation Institute, which is one of the many sub-agencies responsible for tracking activity in the Amazon rainforest. They put out data to corroborate evidence of global warming induced by such actions.

Vinhas, who was supposed to hold her position for four years was fired by Marcos Pontes, Brazil’s science and technology minister just two years into her job. No explanation was offered for the same.

Bolsonaro complicit?

Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro has been a staunch critic of environmentalists, and has, on multiple occasions called for economic development in the region, which roughly implies increased deforestation. Additionally, this makes way for illegal mining and logging in the region. In fact, a recent report highlighted how illegal mining had caused the transmission of COVID-19 among tribal populations from the workers, causing major distress in the region.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/world/brazil-deforested-10000-square-km-of-amazon-rainforest-in-2019-up-34-on-year-304867" hreflang="en">Brazil deforested 10,000 square km of Amazon rainforest in 2019, up 34% on year</a>

A firing was undertaken along similar lines last year, and activists believe this is due to the appalling data coming in from the country.

In August 2019, when the world sought answers from Bolsonaro over the wildfires in Amazon, Bolsonaro hit out at the former head of country’s space research institute, accusing him of doctoring data in order to paint his administration in a bad light. When Galvao countered the claims publicly, he was fired and replaced.

The figures released by Inpe on Friday showed over 1,034 square kilometres worth of deforestation in June alone. This is the highest area to be cleared in June ever since data collection had been initiated in 2015.

In the January-June period, the Amazon witnessed a 25 per cent spike in deforestation, when compared to the same time last year. Over 3,069 square kilometres of land has been cleared so far.

Amazon rainforest has been in the headlines lately owing to the record rate of deforestation in the region, which threatens local human and animal habitats, while increasing the risk of natural disasters.

Amazon rainforest has been in the headlines lately owing to the record rate of deforestation in the region, which threatens local human and animal habitats, while increasing the risk of natural disasters. Given the current scenario, it also makes tribal forest populations vulnerable to COVID-19. And these areas are hard to reach, with minimal healthcare in these regions. Also read: Amazon tribe releases hostages after body of leader returned In the backdrop of global outcry over Bolsonaro government’s stance and policies on the Amazon forest, the administration recently fired a national space agency official. The agency, Inpe is responsible for monitoring the rainforest via satellites, which has divulged data of mass deforestation and exploitation, even as global scientists call for preservation as an immediate call of the hour. Increased deforestation The data from June shows how deforestation hasn’t slowed down during the pandemic, but rather increased. The official, Lubia Vinhas was the general-coordinator of Brazilian space agency Inpe’s Earth Observation Institute, which is one of the many sub-agencies responsible for tracking activity in the Amazon rainforest. They put out data to corroborate evidence of global warming induced by such actions. Vinhas, who was supposed to hold her position for four years was fired by Marcos Pontes, Brazil’s science and technology minister just two years into her job. No explanation was offered for the same. Bolsonaro complicit? Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro has been a staunch critic of environmentalists, and has, on multiple occasions called for economic development in the region, which roughly implies increased deforestation. Additionally, this makes way for illegal mining and logging in the region. In fact, a recent report highlighted how illegal mining had caused the transmission of COVID-19 among tribal populations from the workers, causing major distress in the region. Also read: Brazil deforested 10,000 square km of Amazon rainforest in 2019, up 34% on year A firing was undertaken along similar lines last year, and activists believe this is due to the appalling data coming in from the country. In August 2019, when the world sought answers from Bolsonaro over the wildfires in Amazon, Bolsonaro hit out at the former head of country’s space research institute, accusing him of doctoring data in order to paint his administration in a bad light. When Galvao countered the claims publicly, he was fired and replaced. The figures released by Inpe on Friday showed over 1,034 square kilometres worth of deforestation in June alone. This is the highest area to be cleared in June ever since data collection had been initiated in 2015. In the January-June period, the Amazon witnessed a 25 per cent spike in deforestation, when compared to the same time last year. Over 3,069 square kilometres of land has been cleared so far.

Brazil fires official who divulged details of record-deforestation in the Amazon

A new study has revealed that the trees in the world's largest rainforest are losing their ability to absorb carbon.

The study tracked 300,000 trees over 30 years, providing the first large-scale evidence of the decline in carbon uptake by the world’s tropical forests.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/wion-edit-amazon-fires-challenge-to-india-and-developing-world-246303">Amazon Fires - Challenge to India and Developing World</a>

It was published on Wednesday in the journal Nature.

For the last three decades, the amount of carbon absorbed by the world’s intact tropical forests has fallen, according to the study from nearly 100 scientific institutions.&nbsp;

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chaotic-climate-chaotic-cities-fuel-brazil-flood-toll-284386">Chaotic climate, chaotic cities fuel Brazil flood toll</a>

They are now taking up a third less carbon than they did in the 1990s, owing to the impacts of higher temperatures, droughts and deforestation. That downward trend is likely to continue, as forests come under increasing threat from climate change and exploitation.

The Amazon could turn into a source of carbon in the atmosphere, instead of one of the biggest absorbers of the gas, as soon as the next decade, owing to the damage caused by loggers and farming interests and the impacts of the climate crisis, new research has found.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/bearing-brunt-of-climate-change-240729">Bearing brunt of climate change</a>

If that happens, climate breakdown is likely to become much more severe in its impacts, and the world will have to cut down much faster on carbon-producing activities to counteract the loss of the carbon sinks.

''We’ve found that one of the most worrying impacts of climate change has already begun,” said Simon Lewis, a professor in the school of geography at Leeds University, one of the senior authors of the research.&nbsp;

''Humans have been lucky so far, as tropical forests are mopping up lots of our pollution, but they can’t keep doing that indefinitely,'' he said.

''We need to curb fossil fuel emissions before the global carbon cycle starts working against us. The time for action is now,'' he added.

A new study has revealed that the trees in the world's largest rainforest are losing their ability to absorb carbon. The study tracked 300,000 trees over 30 years, providing the first large-scale evidence of the decline in carbon uptake by the world’s tropical forests.

A new study has revealed that the trees in the world's largest rainforest are losing their ability to absorb carbon. The study tracked 300,000 trees over 30 years, providing the first large-scale evidence of the decline in carbon uptake by the world’s tropical forests. Also read: Amazon Fires - Challenge to India and Developing World It was published on Wednesday in the journal Nature. For the last three decades, the amount of carbon absorbed by the world’s intact tropical forests has fallen, according to the study from nearly 100 scientific institutions. Also read: Chaotic climate, chaotic cities fuel Brazil flood toll They are now taking up a third less carbon than they did in the 1990s, owing to the impacts of higher temperatures, droughts and deforestation. That downward trend is likely to continue, as forests come under increasing threat from climate change and exploitation. The Amazon could turn into a source of carbon in the atmosphere, instead of one of the biggest absorbers of the gas, as soon as the next decade, owing to the damage caused by loggers and farming interests and the impacts of the climate crisis, new research has found. Also read: Bearing brunt of climate change If that happens, climate breakdown is likely to become much more severe in its impacts, and the world will have to cut down much faster on carbon-producing activities to counteract the loss of the carbon sinks. ''We’ve found that one of the most worrying impacts of climate change has already begun,” said Simon Lewis, a professor in the school of geography at Leeds University, one of the senior authors of the research. ''Humans have been lucky so far, as tropical forests are mopping up lots of our pollution, but they can’t keep doing that indefinitely,'' he said. ''We need to curb fossil fuel emissions before the global carbon cycle starts working against us. The time for action is now,'' he added.

World's largest rainforest losing its ability to absorb carbon: Study

The exploitation of natural resources by China and Pakistan that has affected the ecology and demography in Gilgit Baltistan remains a major concern for the local residents of the region.

Extensive snowfall or floods caused due to the melting glaciers in the region is symbolic of the climate change that has affected the region, which is under Pakistan`s illegal occupation, in recent times.

Khadim Hussain, a resident of Gilgit city in PoK said, "Gilgit Baltistan is known for its freshwater resources. Many tourists get attracted to the incredible glaciers. But since the last few years, the region has witnessed serious effects of environmental damages. The glaciers melt during the summer season floods the entire region."

"Last year, a lake was formed after a glacier melted in the Ishkoman area of Gilgit due to drastic changes in climatic conditions. Also, I have never seen such a heavy snowfall during winters in the past," he added.

The ill-effects of environmental degradation and large scale deforestation by Pakistan and China have started showing up its effects.

As part of its multi-billion-dollar China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Beijing has made huge investments in the mining and highway projects in Gilgit Baltistan.

At the behest of the Islamabad, Chinese companies are reportedly plundering natural resources in the region, including gold, platinum, cobalt and precious gemstones like topaz and aquamarine.

The CPEC project is built at the cost of felling an uncounted number of trees and acquiring acres of land, which is changed the demography of Gilgit Baltistan.

"Whether it is the local administration or the government of Pakistan, no one has carried out any research. Deforestation is the major cause of climatic change here. An unabated felling of trees is being done here. More than 170,000 trees are being cut down per year to fulfill the need for fuel. It is a big issue on which work has to be done," Khadim said.

Despite being a land of natural resources, indigenous people of Gilgit Baltistan are forced to live in poverty. It remains one of the poorest regions in Asia with around 85 per cent of its population striving to live on subsistence agriculture.

The locals also have no access to basic amenities such as cooking gas. The majority of them are dependent on wood from forests. 
&nbsp;

The exploitation of natural resources by China and Pakistan that has affected the ecology and demography in Gilgit Baltistan remains a major concern for the local residents of the region.

The exploitation of natural resources by China and Pakistan that has affected the ecology and demography in Gilgit Baltistan remains a major concern for the local residents of the region. Extensive snowfall or floods caused due to the melting glaciers in the region is symbolic of the climate change that has affected the region, which is under Pakistan`s illegal occupation, in recent times. Khadim Hussain, a resident of Gilgit city in PoK said, "Gilgit Baltistan is known for its freshwater resources. Many tourists get attracted to the incredible glaciers. But since the last few years, the region has witnessed serious effects of environmental damages. The glaciers melt during the summer season floods the entire region." "Last year, a lake was formed after a glacier melted in the Ishkoman area of Gilgit due to drastic changes in climatic conditions. Also, I have never seen such a heavy snowfall during winters in the past," he added. The ill-effects of environmental degradation and large scale deforestation by Pakistan and China have started showing up its effects. As part of its multi-billion-dollar China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Beijing has made huge investments in the mining and highway projects in Gilgit Baltistan. At the behest of the Islamabad, Chinese companies are reportedly plundering natural resources in the region, including gold, platinum, cobalt and precious gemstones like topaz and aquamarine. The CPEC project is built at the cost of felling an uncounted number of trees and acquiring acres of land, which is changed the demography of Gilgit Baltistan. "Whether it is the local administration or the government of Pakistan, no one has carried out any research. Deforestation is the major cause of climatic change here. An unabated felling of trees is being done here. More than 170,000 trees are being cut down per year to fulfill the need for fuel. It is a big issue on which work has to be done," Khadim said. Despite being a land of natural resources, indigenous people of Gilgit Baltistan are forced to live in poverty. It remains one of the poorest regions in Asia with around 85 per cent of its population striving to live on subsistence agriculture. The locals also have no access to basic amenities such as cooking gas. The majority of them are dependent on wood from forests.

Climate change due to deforestation worries people in Gilgit Baltistan

Indonesia files lawsuit at World Trade Organization against European Union over it's palm oil claims. EU claimed that palm oil industry is behind the excessive deforestation. Indonesia is the biggest producer of the palm oil.

Indonesia files lawsuit at WTO against EU over it's palm oil claims

Deforestation in the Amazon soars to record numbers in 11 years

Call it a shock discovery: DNA research has revealed two entirely new species of electric eel in the Amazon basin, including one capable of delivering a record-breaking jolt.

The findings are evidence, researchers say, of the incredible diversity in the Amazon rainforest -- much of it still unknown to science -- and illustrate why it is so important to protect habitat at risk from deforestation, logging and fires.

"In spite of all human impact on the Amazon rainforest in the last 50 years, we can still discover giant fishes like the two new species of electric eels," said lead researcher C. David de Santana, a zoologist working with the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.

The research "indicates that an enormous amount of species are waiting to be discovered in the Amazon rainforest, many of which may harbour cures for diseases or inspire technological innovations," he told AFP.

The electric eel, in fact a kind of fish rather than an eel, inspired the design of the first electric battery.

For centuries, it was believed that a single species existed throughout the region known as Greater Amazonia, encompassing parts of countries including Brazil, Suriname and Guyana.

But as part of a project to better understand electric eels and map wildlife in remote parts of South America, de Santana and his team decided to test that conventional wisdom.

At first glance, they found little visible difference between creatures collected from different parts of the Amazon basin, suggesting the fish were indeed part of a single species.

But further analysis, including of DNA from 107 samples they collected, upended centuries of assumptions and revealed three different species: the previously known Electrophorus electricus, along with Electrophorus voltai and Electrophorus varii.

And their research also uncovered another stunning result: E. voltai is capable of delivering a jolt of 860 volts -- much more than the 650 volts previously recorded from electric eels -- "making it the strongest bioelectricity generator known."

'Hidden' functions

The findings, published Tuesday in the Nature Communications journal, theorise that the three species evolved from a shared ancestor millions of years ago.

The researchers found each of the three species has a clearly defined habitat, with E. electricus living in the Guiana Shield region, E. voltai in the Brazilian Shield, a highland further south, and E. varii inhabiting slow-flowing lowland Amazon basin waters.

And they suggest that the particularly strong electric shock that E. voltai can produce could be an adaptation to life in highland waters, where conductivity is less effective.

Electric eels use their shock tactics for a variety of reasons, including hunting prey, self-defence, and navigation.

They generate electricity from three specialised electric organs that can emit charges of varying strengths for different purposes.

But the discovery of the new species raises the possibility that different types of eels may have evolved different ways of generating electricity, perhaps better suited to their diverse environments.

De Santana hopes to compare the genomes of the three species, searching for clues that could offer insights useful to a variety of fields.

"Electric eel physiology inspired the design of Volta's first electric battery, provided a basis... for treating neurodegenerative diseases and recently promoted the advance of hydrogel batteries that could be used to power medical implants," he said.

The newly discovered species may reveal a "hidden variety" of functions "of interest to the broader scientific community."

Call it a shock discovery: DNA research has revealed two entirely new species of electric eel in the Amazon basin, including one capable of delivering a record-breaking jolt.

Call it a shock discovery: DNA research has revealed two entirely new species of electric eel in the Amazon basin, including one capable of delivering a record-breaking jolt. The findings are evidence, researchers say, of the incredible diversity in the Amazon rainforest -- much of it still unknown to science -- and illustrate why it is so important to protect habitat at risk from deforestation, logging and fires. "In spite of all human impact on the Amazon rainforest in the last 50 years, we can still discover giant fishes like the two new species of electric eels," said lead researcher C. David de Santana, a zoologist working with the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. The research "indicates that an enormous amount of species are waiting to be discovered in the Amazon rainforest, many of which may harbour cures for diseases or inspire technological innovations," he told AFP. The electric eel, in fact a kind of fish rather than an eel, inspired the design of the first electric battery. For centuries, it was believed that a single species existed throughout the region known as Greater Amazonia, encompassing parts of countries including Brazil, Suriname and Guyana. But as part of a project to better understand electric eels and map wildlife in remote parts of South America, de Santana and his team decided to test that conventional wisdom. At first glance, they found little visible difference between creatures collected from different parts of the Amazon basin, suggesting the fish were indeed part of a single species. But further analysis, including of DNA from 107 samples they collected, upended centuries of assumptions and revealed three different species: the previously known Electrophorus electricus, along with Electrophorus voltai and Electrophorus varii. And their research also uncovered another stunning result: E. voltai is capable of delivering a jolt of 860 volts -- much more than the 650 volts previously recorded from electric eels -- "making it the strongest bioelectricity generator known." 'Hidden' functions The findings, published Tuesday in the Nature Communications journal, theorise that the three species evolved from a shared ancestor millions of years ago. The researchers found each of the three species has a clearly defined habitat, with E. electricus living in the Guiana Shield region, E. voltai in the Brazilian Shield, a highland further south, and E. varii inhabiting slow-flowing lowland Amazon basin waters. And they suggest that the particularly strong electric shock that E. voltai can produce could be an adaptation to life in highland waters, where conductivity is less effective. Electric eels use their shock tactics for a variety of reasons, including hunting prey, self-defence, and navigation. They generate electricity from three specialised electric organs that can emit charges of varying strengths for different purposes. But the discovery of the new species raises the possibility that different types of eels may have evolved different ways of generating electricity, perhaps better suited to their diverse environments. De Santana hopes to compare the genomes of the three species, searching for clues that could offer insights useful to a variety of fields. "Electric eel physiology inspired the design of Volta's first electric battery, provided a basis... for treating neurodegenerative diseases and recently promoted the advance of hydrogel batteries that could be used to power medical implants," he said. The newly discovered species may reveal a "hidden variety" of functions "of interest to the broader scientific community."

DNA research reveals two new species of eel that delivers strongest electric jolt

Federal agents in Brazil exchanged gunfire with illegal miners in the Amazon state of Para on Friday, according to witnesses, in a dramatic example of how Brazil has stepped up environmental enforcement in the wake of rainforest fires.

Federal police and agents with<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/warplanes-dump-water-on-amazon-as-brazil-military-begins-fighting-fires-245671"> environmental enforcement</a> agency Ibama were carrying out a raid on illegal wildcat miners near the Ituna/Itatá indigenous reserve, which crosses into several municipalities including the city of Altamira, according to two Reuters witnesses.

"They (the miners) hid in the forest and shot at the team," said Hugo Loss, Ibama's national coordinator of enforcement operations, who accompanied the mission.

The agents returned fire, but all of the miners escaped into the woods and no suspects were apprehended.

No-one was injured, according to the official.&nbsp;

Ibama and the federal police destroyed two backhoes and three other pieces of mining equipment.

Ibama had largely rolled back its field operations in Para state so far this year, over failure to reach an agreement with police at the state-level to offer support, according to Loss.&nbsp;

State police generally accompany Ibama on potentially dangerous operations.

That came on top of efforts by the government of right-wing<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/brazilian-president-jair-bolsonaro-has-got-the-environmentalists-worried-188740"> President Jair Bolsonaro to weaken Ibama,</a> including prohibiting agents from destroying machinery used to commit environmental crimes and grounding the agency's special forces unit used on riskier raids, according to a Reuters investigation.

But news broke last week that fires in the Amazon surged to their highest level since 2010 and provoked international criticism that Brazil was not doing enough to protect the world's largest tropical rainforest.

Following several days of public outcry, Bolsonaro authorized the military to support firefighting efforts, with his justice minister further issuing a decree allowing federal police to support environmental operations.

That federal support allowed for Ibama-organized raids such as the one on Friday to be carried out, Loss said.&nbsp;

The raid was not directly related to the fires.

"Only now with the recognition of alarming deforestation and fire data and with the (justice minister's) decree, did we have conditions allowing us to operate in this area," he said.

"In this area we had operations planned for June and July, but we weren't able to execute them... because of lack of support."

Illegal mining contributes to overall deforestation in Brazil, with roughly 10per cent of the area of the indigenous reserve near the raid having been deforested this year alone, Loss said. 
&nbsp;

Federal agents in Brazil exchanged gunfire with illegal miners in the Amazon state of Para on Friday, according to witnesses, in a dramatic example of how Brazil has stepped up environmental enforcement in the wake of rainforest fires.

Federal agents in Brazil exchanged gunfire with illegal miners in the Amazon state of Para on Friday, according to witnesses, in a dramatic example of how Brazil has stepped up environmental enforcement in the wake of rainforest fires. Federal police and agents with environmental enforcement agency Ibama were carrying out a raid on illegal wildcat miners near the Ituna/Itatá indigenous reserve, which crosses into several municipalities including the city of Altamira, according to two Reuters witnesses. "They (the miners) hid in the forest and shot at the team," said Hugo Loss, Ibama's national coordinator of enforcement operations, who accompanied the mission. The agents returned fire, but all of the miners escaped into the woods and no suspects were apprehended. No-one was injured, according to the official. Ibama and the federal police destroyed two backhoes and three other pieces of mining equipment. Ibama had largely rolled back its field operations in Para state so far this year, over failure to reach an agreement with police at the state-level to offer support, according to Loss. State police generally accompany Ibama on potentially dangerous operations. That came on top of efforts by the government of right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro to weaken Ibama, including prohibiting agents from destroying machinery used to commit environmental crimes and grounding the agency's special forces unit used on riskier raids, according to a Reuters investigation. But news broke last week that fires in the Amazon surged to their highest level since 2010 and provoked international criticism that Brazil was not doing enough to protect the world's largest tropical rainforest. Following several days of public outcry, Bolsonaro authorized the military to support firefighting efforts, with his justice minister further issuing a decree allowing federal police to support environmental operations. That federal support allowed for Ibama-organized raids such as the one on Friday to be carried out, Loss said. The raid was not directly related to the fires. "Only now with the recognition of alarming deforestation and fire data and with the (justice minister's) decree, did we have conditions allowing us to operate in this area," he said. "In this area we had operations planned for June and July, but we weren't able to execute them... because of lack of support." Illegal mining contributes to overall deforestation in Brazil, with roughly 10per cent of the area of the indigenous reserve near the raid having been deforested this year alone, Loss said.

Brazil steps up environmental enforcement; agents raid illegal miners in Amazon

The number of forest fires in Brazil surged in the first eight months of 2019, official data show, as President Jair Bolsonaro faces growing criticism over rampant destruction of the Amazon.

The number of forest fires in Brazil surged in the first eight months of 2019, official data show, as President Jair Bolsonaro faces growing criticism over rampant destruction of the Amazon. Nearly 73,000 fires were recorded between January and August, compared with 39,759 in all of 2018, the embattled National Institute for Space Research (INPE) said late Monday. That is the highest number of forest fires for any year since 2013 and follows two years of declines. "What we are seeing is a consequence of the increase in deforestation seen in recent figures," said Ricardo Mello of WWF's Amazon Program. Forest fires tend to intensify during the dry season, which usually ends in late October or early November, as land is cleared to make way for crops or grazing. The INPE figures show fires have been concentrated in states occupying the Amazon. Thick smoke has blanketed several cities in recent days and even caused a commercial flight to be diverted. The data comes as Bolsonaro faces growing criticism over his anti-environment rhetoric, which activists blame for emboldening loggers, miners and farmers in the Amazon. Norway on Thursday joined Germany in halting Amazon protection subsidies, accusing Brazil of turning its back on the fight against deforestation. The governors of nine states spanning the Amazon also published a statement on Sunday saying they would negotiate directly with the Amazon Fund contributors. The latest INPE figures coincide with a UN regional meeting on climate change in Brazil ahead of December's summit in Chile. INPE is already in Bolsonaro's crosshairs over data showing a surge in deforestation in recent months. Bolsonaro dismissed the figures as lies and sacked the head of the agency tasked with tracking forest clearing. Brazil leads the region in forest fires this year, according to the INPE data that is collected via satellite and updated in real-time. Venezuela ranked second with 26,453 fires and Bolivia with 16,101.

Forest fires in Brazil surge as deforestation accelerates

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro suggested Friday that people "poop every other day" as a way to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/brazil-deforestation-climbs-67-per-cent-through-july-as-government-attacks-data-241014">save the environment</a>, after he came under fire for a surge in deforestation of the Amazon since he came to power.

The far-right leader offered this idea in response to a journalist's question as to whether it was possible to simultaneously spur economic growth, feed the world's hungry and also preserve the environment.

"It's enough to eat a little less. You talk about environmental pollution. It's enough to poop every other day. That will be better for the whole world," said Bolsonaro, who earlier this month sacked the head of a government agency that had reported a major increase in Amazon deforestation.

Bolsonaro has been criticized for a rapid acceleration in deforestation of the Amazon rainforest, which covers vast swathes of Brazil and is considered vital to combatting global warming.

According to Brazil's National Institute for Space Research (INPE), which tracks clear-cutting of the rainforest, around 2,254 square kilometers (870 square miles) of the Amazon were cleared in July, an increase of 278 percent from a year ago.

That followed a 90 percent increase in June compared to the year prior -- figures that Bolsonaro has called "lies," and which prompted the sacking of INPE chief Ricardo Galvao on August 2.&nbsp;

The rapid rise in deforestation has triggered a global outcry and threatens to create problems for the recent free trade agreement between the South American trade bloc known as Mercosur. The pact includes Brazil and the European Union.

The Amazon is vital to the exchange of oxygen for carbon dioxide in the atmosphere -- a check on global warming.

But Environment Minister Ricardo Salles said the INPE data was published in a way that satisfied "sensationalist interpretations" and was aimed at getting "more donations from foreign NGOs".&nbsp;

Data from INPE, an institution of international repute, showed that overall deforestation has increased 40 percent in the last twelve months compared with the same period a year ago.

Bolsonaro, a combative politician frequently denounced for derogatory remarks about women and minority groups, said the rapid rise in populations around the world needed to be addressed.

"When you see how the world's population is increasing by 70 million a year, you need a family planning policy," said the former army officer, declining to use the term "birth control" for fear of an adverse media reaction.

"Don't make me say that, otherwise (the daily) Folha de S. Paolo will run a headline saying I favor birth control," he said.

"But you can see that more educated people have fewer children. I'm an exception to that rule, I have five," he said.

The sacking of the INPE director prompted criticism from environmental groups.

"Bolsonaro knows that his government is primarily responsible for the current destruction of the Amazon. The dismissal of the director of INPE is nothing more than an act of revenge against those who show the truth," said Marcio Astrini from Greenpeace.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro suggested Friday that people "poop every other day" as a way to save the environment, after he came under fire for a surge in deforestation of the Amazon since he came to power.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro suggested Friday that people "poop every other day" as a way to save the environment, after he came under fire for a surge in deforestation of the Amazon since he came to power. The far-right leader offered this idea in response to a journalist's question as to whether it was possible to simultaneously spur economic growth, feed the world's hungry and also preserve the environment. "It's enough to eat a little less. You talk about environmental pollution. It's enough to poop every other day. That will be better for the whole world," said Bolsonaro, who earlier this month sacked the head of a government agency that had reported a major increase in Amazon deforestation. Bolsonaro has been criticized for a rapid acceleration in deforestation of the Amazon rainforest, which covers vast swathes of Brazil and is considered vital to combatting global warming. According to Brazil's National Institute for Space Research (INPE), which tracks clear-cutting of the rainforest, around 2,254 square kilometers (870 square miles) of the Amazon were cleared in July, an increase of 278 percent from a year ago. That followed a 90 percent increase in June compared to the year prior -- figures that Bolsonaro has called "lies," and which prompted the sacking of INPE chief Ricardo Galvao on August 2. The rapid rise in deforestation has triggered a global outcry and threatens to create problems for the recent free trade agreement between the South American trade bloc known as Mercosur. The pact includes Brazil and the European Union. The Amazon is vital to the exchange of oxygen for carbon dioxide in the atmosphere -- a check on global warming. But Environment Minister Ricardo Salles said the INPE data was published in a way that satisfied "sensationalist interpretations" and was aimed at getting "more donations from foreign NGOs". Data from INPE, an institution of international repute, showed that overall deforestation has increased 40 percent in the last twelve months compared with the same period a year ago. Bolsonaro, a combative politician frequently denounced for derogatory remarks about women and minority groups, said the rapid rise in populations around the world needed to be addressed. "When you see how the world's population is increasing by 70 million a year, you need a family planning policy," said the former army officer, declining to use the term "birth control" for fear of an adverse media reaction. "Don't make me say that, otherwise (the daily) Folha de S. Paolo will run a headline saying I favor birth control," he said. "But you can see that more educated people have fewer children. I'm an exception to that rule, I have five," he said. The sacking of the INPE director prompted criticism from environmental groups. "Bolsonaro knows that his government is primarily responsible for the current destruction of the Amazon. The dismissal of the director of INPE is nothing more than an act of revenge against those who show the truth," said Marcio Astrini from Greenpeace.

Poop less for a cleaner planet, says Brazil's president Jair Bolsonaro

World warned: Change now or endanger food and climate

Brazil's environment minister said on Tuesday data showing surging deforestation in the Amazon was "sensationalist," as the government faces scrutiny over the destruction of the rainforest seen as vital to combating climate change.

Around 2,254 square kilometres (870 square miles) of the Amazon were cleared in July, an increase of 278 per cent from a year ago, according to the embattled National Institute for Space Research (INPE).

That follows a 90 per cent increase in June compared to the year prior -- figures far-right President Jair Bolsonaro has called "lies" and which prompted Friday's sacking of INPE chief Ricardo Galvao.&nbsp;

The rapid rise in deforestation has triggered a global outcry and threatens to create problems for the recent free trade agreement between the South American Mercosur trade bloc, which includes Brazil and the European Union.

The Amazon is vital to the exchange of oxygen for carbon dioxide in the atmosphere -- a check on global warming.

But Environment Minister Ricardo Salles said Wednesday that the INPE data was published in a way that satisfied "sensationalist interpretations" and was aimed at getting "more donations from foreign NGOs".&nbsp;

While the government admits deforestation has increased, it insists it is not as great as indicated by INPE, an agency of international repute.

The government's rejection of the figures and sacking of Galvao, who has been replaced by a military official, has angered environmental groups. &nbsp;

"The government is fighting with the numbers, trying to change the reality of what is happening in the forest," said Carlos Rittl, director of the Brazilian Climate Observatory.&nbsp;

Since taking power in January, Bolsonaro has been accused of harming the Amazon and indigenous tribes in order to benefit his supporters in the logging, mining and farming industries.

The front cover of last week's Economist magazine declared "Deathwatch for the Amazon," warning the forest was "perilously close to a tipping point."

European leaders have been vocal in their criticism of the government's environmental policies.&nbsp;

But Salles said he would show "what Brazil really is" when he tours Europe in September. He said the government has a "feasible plan" to fight deforestation. 
&nbsp;

Brazil's environment minister said on Tuesday data showing surging deforestation in the Amazon was "sensationalist," as the government faces scrutiny over the destruction of the rainforest seen as vital to combating climate change.

Brazil's environment minister said on Tuesday data showing surging deforestation in the Amazon was "sensationalist," as the government faces scrutiny over the destruction of the rainforest seen as vital to combating climate change. Around 2,254 square kilometres (870 square miles) of the Amazon were cleared in July, an increase of 278 per cent from a year ago, according to the embattled National Institute for Space Research (INPE). That follows a 90 per cent increase in June compared to the year prior -- figures far-right President Jair Bolsonaro has called "lies" and which prompted Friday's sacking of INPE chief Ricardo Galvao. The rapid rise in deforestation has triggered a global outcry and threatens to create problems for the recent free trade agreement between the South American Mercosur trade bloc, which includes Brazil and the European Union. The Amazon is vital to the exchange of oxygen for carbon dioxide in the atmosphere -- a check on global warming. But Environment Minister Ricardo Salles said Wednesday that the INPE data was published in a way that satisfied "sensationalist interpretations" and was aimed at getting "more donations from foreign NGOs". While the government admits deforestation has increased, it insists it is not as great as indicated by INPE, an agency of international repute. The government's rejection of the figures and sacking of Galvao, who has been replaced by a military official, has angered environmental groups. "The government is fighting with the numbers, trying to change the reality of what is happening in the forest," said Carlos Rittl, director of the Brazilian Climate Observatory. Since taking power in January, Bolsonaro has been accused of harming the Amazon and indigenous tribes in order to benefit his supporters in the logging, mining and farming industries. The front cover of last week's Economist magazine declared "Deathwatch for the Amazon," warning the forest was "perilously close to a tipping point." European leaders have been vocal in their criticism of the government's environmental policies. But Salles said he would show "what Brazil really is" when he tours Europe in September. He said the government has a "feasible plan" to fight deforestation.

Brazil government slams 'sensationalist' deforestation data

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/bolsonaro-vows-to-fight-illegal-deforestation-in-brazil-240639">Deforestation in Brazil's rainforest</a> has jumped around 67 per cent in the first seven months of the year, according to preliminary data from Brazil's space research agency, which the government has attacked as misleading and harmful to the national interest.

The monitoring system registered destruction of 2,255 square kilometres (557,223 acres) of the Amazon forest in July, more than triple the 597 square kilometres spotted on July 2018, according to National Institute for Space Research (INPE). That is nearly the landmass of Luxembourg and the most monthly deforestation registered by INPE in years.

The Amazon is the world's largest tropical rainforest, a bulwark against global warming often called the "lungs of the world" because of the vast amounts of carbon it soaks up. Brazil contains roughly 60 per cent of the rainforest.

Environmentalists and researchers<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/jair-bolsonaro-defends-child-labour-in-brazil-sparking-outcry-233674"> blame President Jair Bolsonaro's</a> rhetoric in favour of economic development in the Amazon for emboldening loggers, ranchers, and informal miners since he assumed office in January.

Bolsonaro has vehemently criticized the data from INPE and fired the head of the agency on Friday over what he called "lies" that hurt the country's trade talks.

"News like this that does not match the truth causes great damage to the image of Brazil," Bolsonaro said in a press conference last week.

However, the space research agency, independent scientists and environmentalists have defended the data as accurate.&nbsp;

Fired INPE director Ricardo Galvao told Reuters on Saturday that he continued to defend the figures as showing an "undeniable" spike in deforestation.

Due to cloud cover and other factors, deforestation registered in a certain month may have happened in a prior month, Environment Minister Ricardo Salles said last week.&nbsp;

At a news conference with Bolsonaro, the minister suggested that discrepancies of that kind made it impossible to trust the data.

Salles said deforestation should only be measured with more exact annual figures, published in the so-called PRODES data series, instead of the rapid-response DETER data, which is updated almost daily.

Yet comparing longer periods - the first seven months of the year, for example - virtually eliminates concerns over when the deforestation took place, according to Tasso Azevedo, coordinator of geographic initiative MapBiomas.&nbsp;

MapBiomas is a collaboration between universities, non-profit groups and technology companies to monitor deforestation, drawing from several different sources including INPE data.

Tasso called the government criticism of the DETER data baseless, estimating its accuracy at more than 90 per cent.

Sharp rises in the rapid-response data have consistently corresponded with an increase in the year-end figure, he added.

The annual PRODES figures have always shown even worse deforestation than detected by the faster DETER data over the past decade.

"Why does (Salles) spend so much time trying to say that the alerts happened earlier or later when he could use the same time to take some action," Azevedo said.

"Instead of indicating what they're doing to reduce deforestation, they're criticizing the deforestation data."&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Deforestation in Brazil's rainforest has jumped around 67 per cent in the first seven months of the year, according to preliminary data from Brazil's space research agency, which the government has attacked as misleading and harmful to the national interest.

Deforestation in Brazil's rainforest has jumped around 67 per cent in the first seven months of the year, according to preliminary data from Brazil's space research agency, which the government has attacked as misleading and harmful to the national interest. The monitoring system registered destruction of 2,255 square kilometres (557,223 acres) of the Amazon forest in July, more than triple the 597 square kilometres spotted on July 2018, according to National Institute for Space Research (INPE). That is nearly the landmass of Luxembourg and the most monthly deforestation registered by INPE in years. The Amazon is the world's largest tropical rainforest, a bulwark against global warming often called the "lungs of the world" because of the vast amounts of carbon it soaks up. Brazil contains roughly 60 per cent of the rainforest. Environmentalists and researchers blame President Jair Bolsonaro's rhetoric in favour of economic development in the Amazon for emboldening loggers, ranchers, and informal miners since he assumed office in January. Bolsonaro has vehemently criticized the data from INPE and fired the head of the agency on Friday over what he called "lies" that hurt the country's trade talks. "News like this that does not match the truth causes great damage to the image of Brazil," Bolsonaro said in a press conference last week. However, the space research agency, independent scientists and environmentalists have defended the data as accurate. Fired INPE director Ricardo Galvao told Reuters on Saturday that he continued to defend the figures as showing an "undeniable" spike in deforestation. Due to cloud cover and other factors, deforestation registered in a certain month may have happened in a prior month, Environment Minister Ricardo Salles said last week. At a news conference with Bolsonaro, the minister suggested that discrepancies of that kind made it impossible to trust the data. Salles said deforestation should only be measured with more exact annual figures, published in the so-called PRODES data series, instead of the rapid-response DETER data, which is updated almost daily. Yet comparing longer periods - the first seven months of the year, for example - virtually eliminates concerns over when the deforestation took place, according to Tasso Azevedo, coordinator of geographic initiative MapBiomas. MapBiomas is a collaboration between universities, non-profit groups and technology companies to monitor deforestation, drawing from several different sources including INPE data. Tasso called the government criticism of the DETER data baseless, estimating its accuracy at more than 90 per cent. Sharp rises in the rapid-response data have consistently corresponded with an increase in the year-end figure, he added. The annual PRODES figures have always shown even worse deforestation than detected by the faster DETER data over the past decade. "Why does (Salles) spend so much time trying to say that the alerts happened earlier or later when he could use the same time to take some action," Azevedo said. "Instead of indicating what they're doing to reduce deforestation, they're criticizing the deforestation data."

Brazil deforestation climbs 67% through July as government attacks data

Under Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro rule, Amazon deforestation rising towards unrecoverable 'tipping point'

A recent study has suggested that the process of reforestation around the world would be the most effective method to combat <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tornado-hits-northeast-china-as-more-extreme-weather-strikes-six-killed-190-injured-232916">climate change</a>.

Around 0.9 billion hectares of land worldwide would be suitable for reforestation, which could ultimately capture two-thirds of human-made carbon emissions.

Researchers investigated nature-based solutions to climate change. In the latest study published in the journal 'Science', researchers for the first time, showed where in the world new trees could grow and how much carbon they would store.

"One aspect was of particular importance to us as we did the calculations, we excluded cities or agricultural areas from the total restoration potential as these areas are needed for human life," study lead author Jean-Francois Bastin explained.

The researchers calculated that under the current climate conditions, Earth's land could support 4.4 billion hectares of continuous tree cover. That is 1.6 billion more than the currently existing 2.8 billion hectares.

Of these 1.6 billion hectares, 0.9 billion hectares fulfil the criterion of not being used by humans. This means that there is currently an area of the size of the US available for tree restoration.

Once mature, these new forests could store 205 billion tonnes of carbon,&nbsp;about two-thirds of the 300 billion tonnes of carbon that has been released into the atmosphere as a result of human activity since the Industrial Revolution.

"We all knew that restoring forests could play a part in tackling climate change, but we didn't really know how big the impact would be. Our study shows clearly that forest restoration is the best climate change solution available today. But we must act quickly, as new forests will take decades to mature and achieve their full potential as a source of natural carbon storage," said co-author of the study, Prof. Thomas Crowther.

The study also shows which parts of the world are most suited to forest restoration.

The greatest potential can be found in just six countries:

Russia (151 million hectares)&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/why-china-is-afraid-of-us-abrams-tanks-to-be-delivered-to-taiwan-234260#us-army-infantry-battalions-m1-abrams-tanks-234232">US</a> (103 million hectares)

Canada (78.4 million hectares)

Australia (58 million hectares)

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/lionel-messi-slams-brazil-fix-after-copa-red-card-233729/amp">Brazil</a> (49.7 million hectares)

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sale-of-weapons-to-taiwan-violates-one-china-policy-cancel-it-immediately-china-to-us-234236">China</a> (40.2 million hectares).

Many current climate models are wrong in expecting climate change to increase global tree cover, the study warns. It finds that there is likely to be an increase in the area of northern boreal forests in regions such as Siberia, but tree cover there averages only 30 to 40 per cent.&nbsp;

These gains would be outweighed by the losses suffered in dense tropical forests, which typically have 90 to 100 per cent tree cover.

A recent study has suggested that the process of reforestation around the world would be the most effective method to combat climate change. Around 0.9 billion hectares of land worldwide would be suitable for reforestation, which could ultimately capture two-thirds of human-made carbon emissions.

A recent study has suggested that the process of reforestation around the world would be the most effective method to combat climate change. Around 0.9 billion hectares of land worldwide would be suitable for reforestation, which could ultimately capture two-thirds of human-made carbon emissions. Researchers investigated nature-based solutions to climate change. In the latest study published in the journal 'Science', researchers for the first time, showed where in the world new trees could grow and how much carbon they would store. "One aspect was of particular importance to us as we did the calculations, we excluded cities or agricultural areas from the total restoration potential as these areas are needed for human life," study lead author Jean-Francois Bastin explained. The researchers calculated that under the current climate conditions, Earth's land could support 4.4 billion hectares of continuous tree cover. That is 1.6 billion more than the currently existing 2.8 billion hectares. Of these 1.6 billion hectares, 0.9 billion hectares fulfil the criterion of not being used by humans. This means that there is currently an area of the size of the US available for tree restoration. Once mature, these new forests could store 205 billion tonnes of carbon, about two-thirds of the 300 billion tonnes of carbon that has been released into the atmosphere as a result of human activity since the Industrial Revolution. "We all knew that restoring forests could play a part in tackling climate change, but we didn't really know how big the impact would be. Our study shows clearly that forest restoration is the best climate change solution available today. But we must act quickly, as new forests will take decades to mature and achieve their full potential as a source of natural carbon storage," said co-author of the study, Prof. Thomas Crowther. The study also shows which parts of the world are most suited to forest restoration. The greatest potential can be found in just six countries: Russia (151 million hectares) US (103 million hectares) Canada (78.4 million hectares) Australia (58 million hectares) Brazil (49.7 million hectares) China (40.2 million hectares). Many current climate models are wrong in expecting climate change to increase global tree cover, the study warns. It finds that there is likely to be an increase in the area of northern boreal forests in regions such as Siberia, but tree cover there averages only 30 to 40 per cent. These gains would be outweighed by the losses suffered in dense tropical forests, which typically have 90 to 100 per cent tree cover.

Experts find land as big as US for reforestation to reverse climate change effects

Deforestation in Brazil's portion of the Amazon rainforest soared more than 88% in June compared with the same month a year ago, the second consecutive month of rising forest destruction under new right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro.

Tropical rainforest destruction accelerating under Brazilian government

Sri Lanka will ban imports of chainsaws and shut timber mills within five years to protect forests, President Maithripala Sirisena's office said Friday.

Sirisena highlighted his determination to clamp down on illegal logging and increase the amount of territory devoted to forests at an environmental conference.

"I have instructed officials to ban the import of chainsaw machines and blades from next week," Sirisena told the conference on Thursday, his office said.

Four months ago, Sirisena compelled all users to register chainsaws with police and 82,000 units were recorded within three weeks.

The president, who is also environment minister, did not say if he will totally ban machines already in use, but that carpenters and loggers will have five years to shut timber mills and find alternate employment.

He said there has been rapid deforestation in recent years, but gave no figures. Sirisena said, however, the new measures were aimed at raising the country's forest cover to 32 per cent of its land within a decade from 28 per cent now.

Sirisena's term ends in January 2020, but he has indicated he will seek re-election.

Sri Lanka will ban imports of chainsaws and shut timber mills within five years to protect forests, President Maithripala Sirisena's office said Friday. Sirisena highlighted his determination to clamp down on illegal logging and increase the amount of territory devoted to forests at an environmental conference.

Sri Lanka will ban imports of chainsaws and shut timber mills within five years to protect forests, President Maithripala Sirisena's office said Friday. Sirisena highlighted his determination to clamp down on illegal logging and increase the amount of territory devoted to forests at an environmental conference. "I have instructed officials to ban the import of chainsaw machines and blades from next week," Sirisena told the conference on Thursday, his office said. Four months ago, Sirisena compelled all users to register chainsaws with police and 82,000 units were recorded within three weeks. The president, who is also environment minister, did not say if he will totally ban machines already in use, but that carpenters and loggers will have five years to shut timber mills and find alternate employment. He said there has been rapid deforestation in recent years, but gave no figures. Sirisena said, however, the new measures were aimed at raising the country's forest cover to 32 per cent of its land within a decade from 28 per cent now. Sirisena's term ends in January 2020, but he has indicated he will seek re-election.

Sri Lanka to ban chainsaws, timber mills to protect forests: President Maithripala Sirisena

For the longest time, the city of Mumbai, despite urbanisation, managed to keep its green cover or what we call natural vegetation intact. The city had over 35 per cent tree cover until two decades ago and severe climatic conditions were never a worry for the coastal city.&nbsp;

But things changed in the past decade and environmental research corroborated that Mumbai, in the process of concretisation, has lost 60 per cent of its vegetation and 65 per cent of its water bodies.&nbsp;

On October 7 last year, the city sweltered at 37.8 degree Celsius (average temperature), making it Mumbai's second hottest October day in a decade. Monsoon patterns have seen a stark change here, with several days of heavy rainfall now as compared to a decade back.

While statistics have been around for a long time, the need to commence an action on the ground was the call of the hour and a team of young Mumbaikars are doing that - 12,000 saplings at a time! 
&nbsp; 
On a dusty barren land near a suburban local railway station here, city-based Pradeep Tripathi and his team are creating Mumbai's first urban dense forest. A man-made 'green wall,' which will protect the city from environmental damages.&nbsp;

Tripathi, an environmental enthusiast is using the Miyawaki method, invented by Japanese botanist Dr Akira Miyawaki. The technique enables growing over thrice the number of trees than conventional afforestation methods.

WION spoke to Pradeep Tripathi under whose guidance the forest is taking shape, he said, "This forest has been created using an innovative method, we can plant 12,000 trees in a single acre versus 1,000 in the conventional method. In the Miyawaki method, we create a 3-feet deep trench, analyse the soil and as per the deficiencies, we mix coco peat (a water retainer), rice hulls (which acts as a water perforator), compost and other nutrients. We refill the trench using the layer method so that trees don't interrupt each other's growth."&nbsp;

Megacities like Mumbai, where infrastructural needs have led to unprecedented concretisation, the number of trees per person is very low and decreasing every year. With constricted plantation space and rising pollution, the Miyawaki method can prove to be successful.

"Forests grown in this fashion are 10 times faster, 30 times denser, have 30 times more oxygen emission. We have planted more than 30 varieties of native saplings in this patch, this is how we can get a 100-year-old forest in just 10 years," said Tripathi.&nbsp;

According to a study by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), there should be seven trees for every human. In Mumbai, there are five people per tree.&nbsp;

Concerned citizens like Pradeep Tripathi and others in his team have set out to better this dismal ratio.

For the longest time, the city of Mumbai, despite urbanisation, managed to keep its green cover or what we call natural vegetation intact. The city had over 35 per cent tree cover until two decades ago and severe climatic conditions were never a worry for the coastal city.

For the longest time, the city of Mumbai, despite urbanisation, managed to keep its green cover or what we call natural vegetation intact. The city had over 35 per cent tree cover until two decades ago and severe climatic conditions were never a worry for the coastal city. But things changed in the past decade and environmental research corroborated that Mumbai, in the process of concretisation, has lost 60 per cent of its vegetation and 65 per cent of its water bodies. On October 7 last year, the city sweltered at 37.8 degree Celsius (average temperature), making it Mumbai's second hottest October day in a decade. Monsoon patterns have seen a stark change here, with several days of heavy rainfall now as compared to a decade back. While statistics have been around for a long time, the need to commence an action on the ground was the call of the hour and a team of young Mumbaikars are doing that - 12,000 saplings at a time! On a dusty barren land near a suburban local railway station here, city-based Pradeep Tripathi and his team are creating Mumbai's first urban dense forest. A man-made 'green wall,' which will protect the city from environmental damages. Tripathi, an environmental enthusiast is using the Miyawaki method, invented by Japanese botanist Dr Akira Miyawaki. The technique enables growing over thrice the number of trees than conventional afforestation methods. WION spoke to Pradeep Tripathi under whose guidance the forest is taking shape, he said, "This forest has been created using an innovative method, we can plant 12,000 trees in a single acre versus 1,000 in the conventional method. In the Miyawaki method, we create a 3-feet deep trench, analyse the soil and as per the deficiencies, we mix coco peat (a water retainer), rice hulls (which acts as a water perforator), compost and other nutrients. We refill the trench using the layer method so that trees don't interrupt each other's growth." Megacities like Mumbai, where infrastructural needs have led to unprecedented concretisation, the number of trees per person is very low and decreasing every year. With constricted plantation space and rising pollution, the Miyawaki method can prove to be successful. "Forests grown in this fashion are 10 times faster, 30 times denser, have 30 times more oxygen emission. We have planted more than 30 varieties of native saplings in this patch, this is how we can get a 100-year-old forest in just 10 years," said Tripathi. According to a study by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), there should be seven trees for every human. In Mumbai, there are five people per tree. Concerned citizens like Pradeep Tripathi and others in his team have set out to better this dismal ratio.

One man and his team have set out to give Mumbai its first man-made forest

Organic food has a bigger climate impact than conventionally farmed food, due to the greater areas of land required, according to a study.

Researchers from the Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden developed a new method for assessing the climate impact from land-use, and used this, along with other methods, to compare organic and conventional food production.

The results, published in the journal Nature, show that organic food can result in much greater emissions.

"Our study shows that organic peas, farmed in Sweden, have around a 50 per cent bigger climate impact than conventionally farmed peas," said Stefan Wirsenius, an associate professor at Chalmers.

"For some foodstuffs, there is an even bigger difference -- for example,&nbsp;with organic Swedish winter wheat the difference is closer to 70 per cent," Wirsenius said.

The reason why organic food is so much worse for the climate is that the yields per hectare are much lower, primarily because fertilisers are not used.

To produce the same amount of organic food, you therefore need a much bigger area of land, researchers said.

"The greater land-use in organic farming leads indirectly to higher carbon dioxide emissions, thanks to deforestation," said Wirsenius.

"If we use more land for the same amount of food, we contribute indirectly to bigger deforestation elsewhere in the world," he said.

Even organic meat and dairy products are -- from a climate point of view -- worse than their conventionally produced equivalents, researchers said. 
Since organic meat and milk production uses organic feed-stock, it also requires more land than conventional production, they said.

"This means that the findings on organic wheat and peas in principle also apply to meat and milk products," Wirsenius said.

"We have not done any specific calculations on meat and milk, however, and have no concrete examples of this in the article," he said.

The researchers used a new metric, which they call "Carbon Opportunity Cost", to evaluate the effect of greater land-use contributing to higher carbon dioxide emissions from deforestation.

This metric takes into account the amount of carbon that is stored in forests, and thus released as carbon dioxide as an effect of deforestation.

The study is among the first in the world to make use of this metric.

"The fact that more land use leads to greater climate impact has not often been taken into account in earlier comparisons between organic and conventional food," said Wirsenius.

Organic food has a bigger climate impact than conventionally farmed food, due to the greater areas of land required, according to a study. Researchers from the Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden developed a new method for assessing the climate impact from land-use, and used this, along with other methods, to compare organic and conventional food production.

Organic food has a bigger climate impact than conventionally farmed food, due to the greater areas of land required, according to a study. Researchers from the Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden developed a new method for assessing the climate impact from land-use, and used this, along with other methods, to compare organic and conventional food production. The results, published in the journal Nature, show that organic food can result in much greater emissions. "Our study shows that organic peas, farmed in Sweden, have around a 50 per cent bigger climate impact than conventionally farmed peas," said Stefan Wirsenius, an associate professor at Chalmers. "For some foodstuffs, there is an even bigger difference -- for example, with organic Swedish winter wheat the difference is closer to 70 per cent," Wirsenius said. The reason why organic food is so much worse for the climate is that the yields per hectare are much lower, primarily because fertilisers are not used. To produce the same amount of organic food, you therefore need a much bigger area of land, researchers said. "The greater land-use in organic farming leads indirectly to higher carbon dioxide emissions, thanks to deforestation," said Wirsenius. "If we use more land for the same amount of food, we contribute indirectly to bigger deforestation elsewhere in the world," he said. Even organic meat and dairy products are -- from a climate point of view -- worse than their conventionally produced equivalents, researchers said. Since organic meat and milk production uses organic feed-stock, it also requires more land than conventional production, they said. "This means that the findings on organic wheat and peas in principle also apply to meat and milk products," Wirsenius said. "We have not done any specific calculations on meat and milk, however, and have no concrete examples of this in the article," he said. The researchers used a new metric, which they call "Carbon Opportunity Cost", to evaluate the effect of greater land-use contributing to higher carbon dioxide emissions from deforestation. This metric takes into account the amount of carbon that is stored in forests, and thus released as carbon dioxide as an effect of deforestation. The study is among the first in the world to make use of this metric. "The fact that more land use leads to greater climate impact has not often been taken into account in earlier comparisons between organic and conventional food," said Wirsenius.

Organic food has bigger climate impact than conventionally farmed food: Study

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