Why are we continuing clearcut logging operations on state and federal lands during a climate crisis? Our forests are home to more than half of all living species, and reduce and prevent flooding while purifying water, soil, and air. And, critically important during the climate crisis, forests worldwide sequester billions upon billions tons of carbon.
Science determines that approximately 30% of forest lands must be preserved to help mitigate climate change. Currently, less than 1% of those lands are protected. A shocking 86% of today’s carbon sequestration loss is directly attributable to logging. To illustrate how devastating the human impact on Earth’s forests has been, consider that Earth is approximately 4 1/2 billion years old. If we convert this to 45 years (1:100,000,000 scale), then humans have been on Earth for about three minutes. Still following that same scale, humans have destroyed two-thirds of the earth’s forests in the last 40 seconds.
Protecting our forests is important to the future of all living things. We must turn away from destructive logging practices and protect remaining forests now.
Chris Balch
Wilton