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Green Issues

A weekly column on current issues by John A Burton of the World Land Trust. The views expressed are personal, and do not necessarily reflect those of the WLT. Feedback and comments are welcomed.

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Saving forest, acre by acre

Tuesday, March 09, 2004

Listening to the BBC this morning while dressing, I caught the item about the UK government's Chief Scientist, Sir David King, being silenced for speaking out on global warming -- go to this link for more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3545561.stm.
Sir David has pointed out that more people could die as a result of the consequences of global warming, than from international terrorism. While this is not a debate I intend to become involved in -- to me it so obviously true, his other statements are cause for serious alarm. Those concern the disastrous rates of forest destruction, which MUST be halted if the biodiversity (and species diversity) of the planet is to be conserved. And the UK, along with nearly all governments, but particularly the US are doing far too little, far too late.

But the WLT is trying to do its bit, acre by acre, supported by thousands of individuals.

I realise that our efforts are tiny, and could easily be dismissed as insignificant and inconsequential. But in the dozen or so years since the WLT was first established, several other organisations very similar, or direct copies have sprung up, and if you then start counting the number of individuals who have supported us over the years (certainly more than 20,000) and if schools and like mind family and friends are included then it soon multiplies up. Add all the environmental groups in the UK together, and it's a powerful political force, that politicians can ignore at their own peril. Buying an acre may be gesture politics in the big global picture. But for the Jocotoco Ant-Pitta, and several other endemics, it really was a life saving gesture. So buying an acre really does make a difference.

Labels: Rainforest Issues

Posted by John Tuesday, March 09, 2004
 
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