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Satellite images show Papua New Guinea deforestation at critical level

  2. JanforGore
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The forests of Papua New Guinea are being chopped down so quickly that more than half its trees could be lost by 2021, according to a new satellite study of the region.

The study, by the University of Papua New Guinea and the Australian National University, found that deforestation is much more widespread than was previously thought, even in so-called conservation areas. Papua New Guinea (PNG) has the world's third largest tropical forest, but it was being cleared or degraded at a rate of 362,000 hectares (895,000 acres) a year in 2001, the report said.

Phil Shearman, lead author of the study, said: "The unfortunate reality is that forests in Papua New Guinea are being logged repeatedly and wastefully with little regard for the environmental consequences and with at least the passive complicity of government authorities." The destruction will drive global warming, because tropical forests are an important store of carbon.

The researchers compared satellite images taken over three decades from the early 1970s. In 1972, the country had 38m hectares (94m acres), of rainforest covering 82% of the country. About 15% of that was cleared by 2002.

"For the first time, we have evidence of what's happening in the PNG forests," Shearman said. " The government could make a significant contribution to global efforts to combat climate change. It is in its own interest to do so, as this nation is particularly susceptible to negative effects due to loss of the forest cover."
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WE HAVE TO STOP. We also have to support any tree planting initiative and frankly, I think one should be part of any climate change bill passed in this country.
JanforGore

12 responses // Satellite images show Papua New Guinea deforestation at critical level

  • Indeed
    Enjoy_Cannabis
  • From the picture it looks like they have it mapped out for future cutting.
    jubal
  • Thanks for posting this. I grew up in PNG and the rainforests were beautiful then....

    I heard that guns were being traded for rainforests at some point a few years ago.

    It is such a wild, beautiful place, so easy to take advantage of the natural resources there.
    HellaDelicious
  • It is criminal what humans are doing to the beauty of this planet for their own gain. And those who stand up to it are found shot to death. At this point I don't even know if we can plant enough fast enough to keep up with the pace they are being cut down. So we continue to cut down trees and then burn more coal and some actually think we don't contribute to climate change? What the hell are some people thinking?
    JanforGore
  • Humanity is a parasite in some ways.
    current89
  • Are we just preprogrammed to have a death wish? We know spewing toxins in the air and in our water makes us sick and destoys our planet, but we continue to do it anyway. I don't get how the money made is going to do anything good if we don't have a planet left.
    JanforGore
  • http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/aar.cfm?id=main
    Rainforest Alliance: how you can Adopt-A -Rainforest to protect the lungs of our Earth.
    JanforGore
  • http://www.nationalgeographic.com/eye/deforestation/eff...
    National Geographic: Desertification and deforestation: the human effects
    JanforGore
  • Humans are the cancer of the Earth.
    Well, most humans anyway...
    onechance
  • There are some good ones out here. ;-).
    JanforGore
  • This is so rediculous.
    jefftego
  • It is really such a shame, there is so much potential in these diverse forests and potentially cures for any number of illnesses....

    But greedy people want to make some $$$$....
    HellaDelicious

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