The Problem

In the next 24 hours, deforestation will release as much CO₂ into the atmosphere as 8 million people flying from London to New York. That’s about 100 acres cleared every minute.

There are many reasons why this happens;

•  Cattle ranching accounts for 50 per cent of rainforest destruction. Land is burnt down to make way for cattle due to the high demand on the beef export market.
• Agriculture is another major player in deforestation with tropical trees felled to make way for soybean farms, palm oil, banana, sugar cane, tea, coffee and many other plantations. Rainforest soil is thin and fragile and so farmers have to keep clearing land to sustain crops, pushing cattle ranchers further into the forest.
• Logging is a significant cause of deforestation especially in Peru where much of it is done illegally. Often huge swaths of forest are destroyed just to get at the more precious trees such as mahogany and teak which are sold to make furniture.
• Oil is big business the world over and much of this precious resource lies beneath the surface in the rainforests of Peru. Companies are eager to get mining but this often necessitates an infrastructure of new roads bringing with it new settlers.

It’s not difficult to understand why this happens. Soya, beef and palm oil prices are rising and landowners can make quick profits. But these are short-term gains. Rainforest soil is thin and fragile. Once cleared, its goodness is gone in five years.

On a global scale, turning rainforests into timber and farmland makes no sense at all, environmentally or financially. Rainforest has an international carbon value far in excess of its farming worth, and when managed sustainably it can generate a good income for the local economy. This is where you – and Cool Earth – come in…