2/3 of Tropical Rainforests Destroyed or Damaged by Logging, Farming – The Energy Mix
While more than 50% of the impact on tropical rainforests since 2002 has occurred in the Amazon, Indonesian forests have also been ravaged,
with palm oil plantations the chief culprit. Ranking third for
rainforest destruction is Central Africa, with the Congo River Basin
suffering particularly from the incursions of farming (both traditional
and industrial), as well as logging.
with palm oil plantations the chief culprit. Ranking third for
rainforest destruction is Central Africa, with the Congo River Basin
suffering particularly from the incursions of farming (both traditional
and industrial), as well as logging.
As dense tropical forest vegetation constitutes the planet’s “largest living reservoir of carbon,” all of this activity could increase the potential for climate change, Reuters notes.
“It’s a terrifying cycle,” said report author and tropical forest
researcher Anders Krogh. He explained that more rainforest destruction
means less carbon stored, which in turn means rising global temperatures
that further weaken the forests that remain—all coming together to
create an accelerating feedback loop.