Reducing Carbon Emissions by Minimizing Deforestation

Deforestation increases the levels of carbon–dioxide in the atmosphere; the World Carefree Network (WCN) reports that at least 15 percent of the world’s carbon emission is due to deforestation.

When trees are cut down, they release stored carbon which in turn contributes to global warming. The adverse effects of deforestation on the environment are as harmful as that of fuel gases emitted from automobiles.

Study made by the Environmental Defense Fund

A survey made by the EDF (Environmental Defense Fund) revealed that, on an average, about 30 million acres of rainforest were cut down every year. The increased pace of deforestation calls for drastic measures to prevent more carbon–dioxide from polluting the environment.

EDF stated that any realistic strategy to minimize carbon pollution to avoid harmful effects on the environment, involved tropical forest preservation. But it was difficult to convince the economically backward people in the Amazon Basin and in other tropical regions to stop destroying the forests.

Eco friendly promotional items and forest conservation measures

Forest conservation involves a lot of money and the income gained on selling expensive timber drive people to cut down trees. Aside from the imminent dangers of global warming, deforestation also destroys biodiversity because forests are the habitat of most of the animal and plant species.

In some tropical countries, deforestation is reduced by active measures taken by REDD (United Nations’ Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation). REDD programs aim to protect forests by offering incentives for people who work toward conserving the forests. Plans are drafted for sustained management of forest areas for reasonable economic benefits.

One way of doing that is to use less land for plantations and pastoral activities. Forests can also be conserved when more people resort to use eco friendly promotional items which are produced by recyclable material. The nations adhering to such measures can then sell carbon credits, which will prove they have managed to minimize deforestation levels to a great extent.

The REDD program has contributed a large amount to aid deforestation measures adopted in various developing countries like Asia, Latin America, and Africa. Brazil is one of the countries, which has embraced the REDD program in its effort to minimize carbon emissions.

Due to the program, Brazil has a notable improvement in deforestation levels and is geared towards achieving almost 80 percent fall in deforestation levels by 2020. Environmentalists say that the success of the REDD program in Brazil will also motivate other countries to conserve their forests.

Source: http://azdailysun.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/deforestation-adding-to-global-carbon-emissions/article_b215f89f-56bf-543f-adb7-d46a5da0386b.html