Five reasons why limiting global warming requires protecting and restoring Forests
In advance of the IPCC report on Global Warming of 1,5oC (October 2018), 40 reputable scientists from renown international institutions listed five reasons why limiting global warming requires protecting and sustainably managing the forests we have, and restoring the forests we’ve lost.
- The world’s forests contain more carbon than exploitable oil, gas, and coal deposits, hence avoiding forest carbon emissions is just as urgent as halting fossil fuel use.
- Forests currently remove around a quarter of the CO2 humans add to the atmosphere, keeping climate change from getting even worse.
- Achieving the 1.5°C goal also requires massive forest restoration to remove excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
- Bioenergy is not the primary solution
- Tropical forests cool the air around them and the entire planet, as well as creating the rainfall essential for growing food in their regions and beyond
For more information see:
http://www.climateandlandusealliance.org/scientists-statement/