Every year 13 million hectares of forest are lost (32.1 million acres). Yet preserving forestland is the most cost effective way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and keep the world from entering the red zone of catastrophic climate change. Argentina and Paraguay made a historic pledge on Tuesday to save the last remnant of the world's most threatened forest. The two governments agreed to work toward zero deforestation in the Atlantic Forest by implementing national legislation to enforce the commitments. Brazil has already pledged to protect 10% of the Forest and implement a zero deforestation target by 2010. The Atlantic Forest once covered 500,000 sq. kilometers (193,000 sq. miles) along the Atlantic coast of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. Only about 7.4% of the forest is left today. The forest boarders major cities--Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Asuncion--so human development has taken a heavy toll on the plant and animal life. The forest is the home of more than 20,000 plant species, 1000 bird species, 372 amphibians, 350 types of fish, 197 different reptiles and 270 mammal species. The best way for developing countries to help solve the climate crisis is for them to follow the example of Argentina and Paraguay. But developing countries need the financial aid of developed nations and their commitment to reduce industrial sources of greenhouse gas.* Sounds like global teamwork to US Person. GREEN KUDOS to Argentina and Paraguay.
*greenhouse emission from developed countries rose by 1% for 2007 according to UN statistics.