Half the Solution
Devoted to promoting the significant potential of tropical forest
conservation and restoration as part of the solution to global warming
- specifically, that tropical forest conservation and restoration could provide up to
50% of the global warming solution over the next 50 crucial years, as
described in this peer-reviewed article:
R.A.
Houghton, Brett Byers and Alexander A. Nassikas, "A role for tropical
forest in stabilizing atmospheric CO2," Nature Climate Change 5,
1022-1023 (2015), doi: 10.1038/nclimate2869 (published online November
25, 2015).
Excel spreadsheet workbook containing the calculations underlying the article: download
Authors affiliations:
R.A. Houghton and Alexander A. Nassikas: Woods Hole Research Center
Brett Byers: Million Acre Pledge
"This
new paper indicating that tropical forest conservation could represent
as much as 50 percent of the solution to climate change is truly
ground-breaking Ð and potentially game-changing Ð as it comes just one
week before what hopefully will be an historic Climate Convention
meeting in Paris. Taken together with the many other ecosystem
services provided by these forests and the enormous wealth of
biodiversity living within them, this paper strongly suggests we need a
greater focus on protecting our remaining tropical forests than ever
before."
- Dr. Russell A. Mittermeier, Executive Vice Chair, Conservation International
"Tropical
forest conservation could provide as much as half of the net carbon
dioxide emissions reductions from current levels over the next 50
years, and, thus, will be key to the fight against global
warming. Realizing this potential is going to take dramatically
increased efforts in the government, charitable and corporate
sectors. WeÕve protected more than 500 million hectares of
tropical forest so far, but the protection of the more than 1 billion
remaining hectares is urgent."
- Brett Byers,
founding pledger, Million Acre
Pledge
Press releases regarding, and media, editorial and blog coverage of, the article.
Other reports, papers and articles
have indicated that tropical forest
conservation and restoration could offset about 30% of CO2
emissions. However, the foregoing article
shows that tropical forest conservation and restoration could be up to
one-half of the global warming, comparing its potential to that of
fossil fuel use reduction and eventual elimination with the benefit of
tropical forest conservation over the next crucial 50 years.
Two factors allow this to be so. First, conservation can be
implemented faster than the decades to convert to alternatives to
fossil fuel use, as such conversion is subject to industrial capacity
limits. Second, the recovery of vast areas of degraded forest
(such as selectively logged forest), would absorb huge amounts of CO2
for decades were continuing degradation (often logging) halted.
Highly cost-effective forest conservation projects are available via these charities: Bonobo Conservation Institute, Conservation International Suriname, Global Conservation, Global Wildlife Conservation, Nature and Culture International, and Rainforest Trust.
Individuals, family foundations and businesses interested in financing efforts to conserve large areas of forest may take the Million Acre Pledge.
Please email brettbyers@halfthesolution.com with any questions or comments.