Reducing tropical deforestation is feasible, affordable, and essential to avoid dangerous global warmingSlowing tropical deforestation, which currently accounts for about 20 percent of heat-trapping gas emissions worldwide, can make an important contribution to the global emissions reductions that are necessary to avoid dangerous climate change. An international team of eleven top forest and climate researchers, including UCS director of science and policy, Peter Frumhoff, found that cutting deforestation rates in half by mid-century would amount to 12 percent of the emissions reductions needed to keep concentrations of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere at relatively safe levels.
The paper, published in the 18 May 2007 issue of Science, provides new evidence that tropical forests will persist in the face of climate change, especially if nations make needed cuts in both industrial and deforestation emissions. More >>>
