Thursday
March 12, 2009

The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it,
The world, and all who live in it...
-Psalm 24:1

The world's forests are disappearing and their destruction is contributing to global warming. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 40,000 hectares of forest are cleared each day for timber, paper, fuel, and to make way for farming and other development.
 
If the lost trees are replaced, it is usually with a single type of tree; the majority of trees in these plantations are non-native species that may disrupt the natural water cycle, fail to provide adequate habitats for animals and birds, and can require large amounts of pesticides.

Borneo, the world's third largest island, contains three countries: Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia and Malaysia. It is home to peat swamp forests and enormous biodiversity. Peat swamp forests store 30 times more carbon than rainforests. Borneo's forest is now half of what it was in the 1980s, replaced by 1.6 million hectares of palm plantations. Deforestation and degradation account for more than 80 percent of the carbon emissions of Indonesia and Malaysia.