Feature: Reforestation | 71
SUMMARY
■“A trillion trees: how we can reforest our world” has just been published in paperback
■The author believes Nature will do most of the planting
■The eastern US was deforested 200 years ago but much of that has come back
■In many parts of the tropics today, vast areas are naturally regenerating
AN INSPIRING VISION
The American hardwood sector demonstrates how sustainable use of this type of forest helps to conserve biodiversity, forest carbon stocks and other environmental values, while also providing a reliable supplementary source of income for non-industrial forest owners. Timber market analyst and environmental specialist, Rupert Oliver, reports
This article is not intended as a book review, but perhaps it should be. It draws inspiration from a remarkable book by Fred Pearce called “A trillion trees: how we can reforest our world” just published in paperback. Pearce is a real heavyweight in the field of environmental journalism, being the former news editor of New Scientist magazine, writing regularly for national newspapers in the UK, and contributing articles to National Geographic and the Washington Post, amongst many other US publications. He’s a lifetime achievement award winner from the Association of British Science Writers and was voted UK Environment Journalist of the Year in 2001. With this background, you might expect his latest book about the current condition and future of the world’s forests to be a depressing read. Nothing could be further from the truth. It is notable for its optimism. Pearce in no way underplays the challenge of deforestation, stressing that old growth forests, where they exist, need protection as reservoirs of biodiversity and carbon, and for their direct role in moderating the climate. In the opening section he explains the essential role played by the world’s remaining natural forests to sustain “flying rivers” that deliver rain across the world. But he also emphasises the natural resilience of forests.
Above: Reforestation in the US is partly because forest land increasingly has been seen as valuable real estate PHOTO: AHEC
The book’s main message is introduced in just one sentence: “In most places, to ►
www.ttjonline.com | July/August 2022 | TTJ
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