How green was our earth! And how fast is 'development' robbing us
of the vital forest cover .. The depletion is
causing major ecological damage, often completely destroying
habitats, uproating peoples and cultures. The
worst hit is the tropical zone, which houses the Southern nations.
Forests are giving way either to
developmental projects, industry and housing, or are being
replaced by commercial plantations. Latin America
has suffered the worst casualties. By 1990, it had lost about 4.5
per cent of what forests it had in 1980. But Asia's
is the fastest annual depletion rate of 1.2 per cent. Overall, the
world has seen 15.4 million hectare of forests
chopped away to serve other purposes. The global annual rate of
depletion is 0.8 per cent. And the
chop ... chop ... chop of the axes, and the whirr of mechanised
saws are articulating the epitaph of humankind.
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