Amazon Rainforest is close to tipping point. Speaking at the recent United Nations-sponsored Biodiversity Science Policy Conference in Paris, France, acclaimed tropical biologist Dr. Thomas Lovejoy warned that with 18% of the Amazon rainforest already gone, a cumulative loss of 20% will set forces in motion that reduce the forest just to one-third its original size within 65 years.
These research findings drew on the expertise of Japan's Meteorological Research Institute, the UK’s Exeter University, Brazil's Centre for Weather Forecasting and Climate Change, Germany's Potsdam Institute and Earth3000. Moreover, the study showed that the current combination of global warming, deforestation and
forest fires are likely to undermine the Amazon's unique hydro-geological system whereby the forest self-generates at least half of its rainfall and also brings replenishing moisture to other regions.
Dr. Lovejoy's assessment affirms previous studies by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which warned that global warming would result in a 40% loss of this vital ecosystem.
Dr. Lovejoy and international scientist contributors, we thank you for your clear and cautionary message. In the narrow margin of time that remains, let us all work with renewed commitment to save our precious planet.
In her efforts to safeguard life on Earth, Supreme Master Ching Hai has frequently addressed the importance of conserving the rainforests, as in an October 2009 videoconference in Germany.
Supreme Master Ching Hai: Saving the world’s tropical forests, the lungs of the Earth, is one of the very important priorities. Because when the tropical rainforests are destroyed, there are many frightening side effects.
It’s not just the permanent changes to the world’s temperature, rainfall, and weather patterns which the forests regulate. It’s not just about the millions of people who might lose their livelihoods that depend on the forests.
There is the extinction of plant and animal species that is 100 times faster than what is natural, and it ruins our ecosystems. The rainforests themselves normally are our protectors, but as the climate gets warmer, instead of absorbing CO2 to protect our planet’s climate, they will be emitting back CO2 as
Now, we need to look at the main reason why there is deforestation. There is a whole industry behind it in most of the cases, namely the livestock industry. For example, the number one reason for deforestation of the Amazon, which is the greatest lung of our planet, is to raise cattle.
Supreme Master Ching Hai: Stop the livestock industry - that would be the most effective way to halt global warming and restore our planet. It will save our precious forests, which takes decades to grow, and create more natural forests that we need to reduce global warming.
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=50194 http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/02/amazongate-more-sloppy-writing-than-sloppy-science.php http://news.mongabay.com/2010/0203-hance_amazontip.htmlExtra NewsIn efforts to reduce carbon emissions, the entire National Taiwan University Hospital at Yunlin branch is serving vegetarian meals only on Lunar New Year's day, while encouraging citizens toward a healthy new year with recommended veg recipes posted on their website.
http://www.ylh.ntuh.mc.ntu.edu.tw/ylh/ylhnewinfo.php?infosn=51 German researchers point out that plans to grow bio-fuel crops in the Amazon are environmentally detrimental because the space they occupy necessitates the clearing of additional cattle pastures, bringing further destruction through deforestation.
http://news.mongabay.com/2010/0208-amazon_biofuels.htmlThe Northern Australian Land and Water Taskforce announces that insufficient water and increasingly dry conditions due to climate change make the tropical north a poor choice as a new food bowl to replace the drought-stricken southern farm areas.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6170KD20100208Dr. Zafar Adeel, Chair of UN-Water, which coordinates the efforts of 26 United Nations agencies, highlights the crucial nature of water in any discussion of global warming, saying that conflict can be avoided if this key resource is seen as an opportunity for cooperation.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LDE6160G3.htm
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