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Sounds to be a simple question - but it isn't:

Banning illegally logged timber will curb deforestation - this is the very simplistic message of Caroline Lucas MEP: UK Green Steps Up Fight Against Illegal Logging In Euro-Parliament:

“As my draft regulation on the illegal trade in timber and wood products returns to Parliament, I hope to see substantial backing from fellow MEPs for reinstating the strict and effective measures that received overwhelming support during the first reading in April 2009. Several of these tough measures were deleted by EU Council back in March, when they officially adopted a weak common position on the timber proposals, which fell far short of the progressive position backed by the Parliament.

We cannot afford to delay this legislation any longer. Deforestation is occurring at a rate of approximately 13 million hectares per year and is responsible for nearly 20% of global carbon emissions. Illegal logging is a major driver of deforestation, with the volume of industrial wood from illegal sources estimated at 350 to 650 million m3 per year.

For years the EU has preached against illegal timber but continued to provide one of the biggest markets for it. Between 20% and 40% of global industrial wood production is estimated to come from illegal sources, and up to 20% finds its way into the EU - with biodiversity and forest-dependent peoples paying the price. The longer term effects are potentially even more serious, since deforestation accounts for nearly a fifth of the global total emissions causing climate change."


KISS - keep it simple and stupid - Mrs. Lucas seems to be a big fan of this principle. Never the less, world in general and relations between deforestation and illegal logging in special are much more complex as Mrs. Lucas wants to make us to believe.

Mrs. Lucas is a very bright person and she is quite keen in this topic, by sure. She knows quite well, that illegal logging only counts for less than 10% of deforestation globally (read more about this topic here).

Once more the green movement is abandon one of its high principles: political correctness...


Read further here: The real drivers of deforestation - (December 2012)

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REDD+, deforestation and illegal logging - how do these things fit toegether?


 



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