Summary / Synopsis
Rio+20 : se focaliser sur les solutions
[Julia Marton-Lefèvre, 16/05/2012]
Rio+20 : se focaliser sur les solutions Julia Marton-Lefèvre is the Director General of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).Photo: IUCN Suite
China’s Reforestation Programs: Big Success or Just an Illusion?
[Jon R. Luoma, 17/01/2012]
China’s Reforestation Programs: Big Success or Just an Illusion? Jon R. Luoma, a contributing editor at Audubon, has written about environmental and science topics for The New York Times, and for such magazines as National Geographic and Discover. In previous... Suite
Mountain forests under threat
[FAO, 09/12/2011]
Mountain forests under threat The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations. It was founded on 16 October 1945 in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. In 1951 its... Suite
Des forêts pour les générations futures
[Gisele Bündchen, 21/09/2011]
Des forêts pour les générations futures Mannequin, Gisèle Bündchen est également Ambassadrice de bonne volonté du Programme des Nations Unies pour l'environnement. Durant son enfance au Brésil, elle a pu admirer toute la beauté de la... Suite
Exploitation forestière et violences en République Démocratique du Congo
[Greenpeace, 22/07/2011]
Exploitation forestière et violences en République Démocratique du Congo Greenpeace is an international NGO focused on the defence of the environment, created in 1971. This association is present and active in 40 countries. Nowadays it counts nearly 3 million members all... Suite
Appalachian Regional Restoration Initiative
[Don Cheadle, 04/02/2011]
Appalachian Regional Restoration Initiative Don Cheadle, an award-winning American actor, rose to prominence in the late 1990s and the early 2000s In addition, he played the lead in the movie Traitor, which was directed by Jeffrey Nachmanoff... Suite
Restoring our forests, the Mau Forests Complex, Kenya
[Wangari Maathai, 26/09/2011]
Restoring our forests, the Mau Forests Complex, Kenya @font-face { font-family: "Times New Roman"; }@font-face { font-family: "Arial"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";... Suite
Li Bingbing : "Chinese forests: Our Lifeline for Sustained Prosperity"
[Li Bingbing, 02/05/2011]
Li Bingbing : "Chinese forests: Our Lifeline for Sustained Prosperity" Li Bingbing, one of China’s most popular actresses, is well known for her achievements both on and off the screen. Her latest movie is Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame. Throughout... Suite
Sachin Tendulkar : "it would be selfish of me to think though that I am the only one that needs trees."
[Sachin Tendulkar, 10/04/2011]
Sachin Tendulkar : "it would be selfish of me to think though that I am the only one that needs trees." Sachin Tendulkar - UNEP Goodwill Ambassador - is the first player to score fifty centuries in all international cricket. He is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of the... Suite
Will intensified farming save the rainforests?
[Fred Pearce, New Scientist, 09/02/2011]
Will intensified farming save the rainforests? Fred Pearce is journalist specialized in the environment and development. He was born in the United Kingdom and studied geography in the University of Cambridge. His latest book is When the Rivers... Suite
Seing the forest through the trees
[Yann Arthus-Bertrand, 02/02/2011]
Seing the forest through the trees Yann Arthus-Bertrand is a famous photographer. He has always had a passion for the animal world and the natural environment. In 1991 he founded Altitude, the world’s first aerial photography agency... Suite
Russia is Burning
[Yevgenia Albats, 10/08/2010]
Russia is Burning Yevgenia Albats is Professor of Political Science at The Higher School of Economics and Editor of The New Times Magazine. Suite
What’s Killing the Great Forests of the American West?
[Jim Robbins, 15/03/2010]
What’s Killing the Great Forests of the American West? Jim Robbins is a veteran journalist based in Helena, Montana. He has written for the New York Times, Conde Nast Traveler, and numerous other publications. His fifth book, The Forgotten Forest, about... Suite
Roads are ruining the rainforests
[William F. Laurance, New Scientist, 30/08/2009]
Roads are ruining the rainforests William F. Laurance is a biologist in the research department at The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama which studies tropical nature and its importance for human well-being. Its... Suite
Seeing REDD in the Amazon: a win for people, trees and climate
[Virgilio Viana, 15/03/2009]
Seeing REDD in the Amazon: a win for people, trees and climate Professor Virgílio Viana is one of Brazil’s leading experts on forestry, environment and sustainable development. He served as Secretary of State for Environment and Sustainable Development and is... Suite
Oil companies ‘should withdraw’ as Peru ‘faces its Tiananmen’
[Survival, 08/06/2009]
Oil companies ‘should withdraw’ as Peru ‘faces its Tiananmen’ Survival is an international organization supporting tribal peoples worldwide, founded in 1969 after an article by Norman Lewis in the UK's Sunday Times which highlighted the massacres, land thefts... Suite
Focus on deforestation in the climate-energy negociations
[Olivier BOUYER, 31/12/2008]
Focus on deforestation in the climate-energy negociations Olivier BOUYER est Ingénieur du Génie Rural, des Eaux et Forêts. Il a participé à la conférence de Poznan (en 2008) avec la délégation française comme chargé de mission “effet de serre et forêt””... Suite
The Other Carbon Economy
[Vandana Shiva, Resurgence, 01/05/2008]
The Other Carbon Economy Vandana Shiva (India): Physicist, epistemologist, ecologist, and Indian feminist with a PhD in the philosophy of science. She founded “Navdanya,” an association which works to protect biodiversity... Suite
Forest destruction: The road to ruin
[William F. Laurance, 06/06/2007]
Forest destruction: The road to ruin William F. Laurance is a biologist in the research department at The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama which studies tropical nature and its importance for human well-being. Its... Suite
Look, no carbon footprint!
[Fred Pearce, New Scientist, 09/03/2007]
Look, no carbon footprint! Fred Pearce is journalist specialized in the environment and development. He was born in the United Kingdom and studied geography in the University of Cambridge. His latest book is When the Rivers... Suite
Forests in France
[Thierry Jaccaud, L'écologiste, 01/07/2007]
Forests in France Thierry Jaccaud is chief editor of the magazine L’Ecologiste (french version of The Ecologist) since its creation in 2000. He graduated with honors from the Higher Institute for Environmental... Suite
The ambiguous role that forests play in relation to climate
[Nathalie de NOBLET-DUCOUDRE, La Recherche, 01/12/2007]
The ambiguous role that forests play in relation to climate Nathalie de NOBLET-DUCOUDRE is a researcher at the LSCE (environment and climate sciences laboratory). She studies climate evolution, the role of man, and biogeochemical cycles which affect climate... Suite
Forest Services
[Lester Brown, Worldwatch Institute, 01/01/2007]
Forest Services Lester Russel Brown, famous author of more than 50 books on the environment and founder of the Worldwatch Institute in the United States, urges us to become more aware of the many services forests... Suite

The world’s current forest surface area has fallen dramatically from the 5 billion hectares at the beginning of the 20th century to 3.9 billion hectares. Although there are multiple reasons for this, the increase in industry has largely accelerated this phenomenon by over-exploiting raw materials and by recycling soils. The effectsof the deterioration of forests and decline in their surface areas are still unknown. What consequences will they have on the world and on mankind? How will they develop and what is their future?

Lester Russel Brown, famous author of more than 50 books on the environment and founder of the Worldwatch Institute in the United States, urges us to become more aware of the many services forests offer the world. Although the usefulness of the world’s products is recognized, its other roles are often only measured after it has disappeared. According to Brown, the protection of forests—climate regulation, flood control, soil preservation, water quality improvement, storing and recycling of nutrients, sources of biodiversity—plays an essential role, both for the environment and for the economy.

Nathalie Noblet-Ducoudé, researcher at the environment and climate sciences laboratory, and Jean-Luc Dupouey, forest specialist at the INRA in Nancy, specifically examine the climate impact of forests in the article “Le rôle ambigu des forêts” (The ambiguous role of forests), published in the magazine La Recherche. The authors note that 18% of greenhouse gases are attributed to deforestation, which releases the CO2 stored by plants. However, the role of forests in climate balance does not end there, and the authors denounce the lack of knowledge about their importance and the division of current models.

Thierry Jaccaud, chief editor of the magazine L’Ecologiste, studies the state of French forests. Although their surface has increased over the last decade, only 0.2% of their area is composed of primary forests, meaning those that have not been created by man. While the author salutes the fact that the importance of forest development is being recognized, he is worried about its management. The natural ecosystems of hedged farmland, heaths, scrublands, primary forests, and specific biodiversity reservoirs are currently being replaced by “controlled” forests, whose ecological impact is not measured.

 

Itaituba, Brésil- photo montrant un feu de forêt dans le Janmaxim National Forest en Amazonie. © AFP-photo Araquem Alcantra