“Bad news travels fast. Good news takes the scenic route.”
Doug Larson, journalist
Some good news
During the early days of the pandemic we were all glued to the TV, watching one terrifying and depressing and story after another. Then comedians and actors jumped in and tried to find ways to sprinkle bits of joy amongst the gloom. My favorite of those efforts was John Krasinski’s brainchild, Some Good News. In a series of short YouTube videos, he made us laugh and gave us hope. It’s easy to feel similarly scared and overwhelmed by the constant reports of climate-related disasters. My goal is to strike a balance between communicating the urgency of our situation and sharing solutions and optimism. In that spirit, I’m here to share some good news on climate change: deforestation is on the decline.
Deforestation and the climate
The Amazon Rainforest is vital to the health of our planet, and deforestation has been accelerating climate change. Why? Because trees are such up and store massive amounts of the CO2 from fossil fuels out of the atmosphere. When we destroy large swaths of trees, especially in rainforests, we lose their filtration and also release all the stored CO2 right back up into the air. Beyond their role with CO2 sequestration, rainforests are also critical for biodiversity.
On the decline
Over the past 50 years, around 17% of the world’s rainforests have been torn destroyed. The Amazon rainforest is the largest, and 60% is found in Brazil. Deforestation has been out of control in Brazil for years, but when their new President, Luis Inácio Lula da Silva, took office, he made a commitment to rapidly reversing that trend. The early results are stunning – deforestation decreased by 40% this year, and in July it was down 60% compared with last July.
Even more exciting was the news that President Lula brought the eight countries in the Amazon region together in August, and they reached an agreement called the Belém Declaration. This deal aims to reduce deforestation throughout the Amazon. Lula is also spearheading discussions among other countries with major rainforests to make similar cuts. Leadership matters.
What can we do?
Are we moving fast enough to solve climate change? No. But, are we starting to accelerate toward that goal? Absolutely. It’s important to celebrate victories like this one. The transition away from fossil fuels is gaining momentum. It’s not too late to fix this and we certainly cannot afford to give up. The best things each of us can do are to make changes in our own lives, and raise the noise level within our circle of influence.
Let’s do something about climate change. Learn about it. Think about it. Talk about it.