The world’s forests are doing so much better than we think

The rise of plantation timber is cutting the need to clear primary forests. (Image: Bevan Conley)

Sun, 04 Feb 2024

By David FicklingThink of a planet in the grip of climate crisis, and many of the images in your mind will be carved from wood. Forests in Canada and Australia going up in flames; loggers in the jungles of Indonesia and Brazil chain-sawing ancient trees for timber; monocultural fir plantations marching in geometric order up the hillsides of Scotland or Sweden.You might be surprised to discover, then, that many of the world’s woodlands are in surprisingly good condition. The destruction of tropical forests gets so much (justified) attentio...

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