Chop and serve

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