1. Felipe, Franco
and
Tiago

2.  As our understanding of the role forests play
in stabilizing global climate increases, it is
becoming clear that their destruction is only
exacerbating climate change. If we're serious
about tackling this, then preserving our
remaining ancient forests has to be a priority.

3.  Mature forests store enormous quantities of carbon, both in the trees
and vegetation itself and within the soil in the form of decaying plant
matter. Forests in areas such as the Congo and the Amazon represent
some of the world's largest carbon stores on land.
 But when forests are logged or burnt, that carbon is released into the
atmosphere, increasing the amount of carbon dioxide and other
greenhouse gases and accelerating the rate of climate change. So much
carbon is released that they contribute up to one-fifth of global man-
made emissions, more than the world's entire transport sector.
 Deforestation has such a massive effect on climate change
that Indonesia and Brazil are now the third and fourth largest emitters of
carbon dioxide on the planet. This dubious honour comes not from
industrial or transport emissions, but from deforestation - up to 75 per
cent of Brazil's emissions come solely from deforestation - with the
majority coming from clearing and burning areas of the Amazon
rainforest.