www.scientificamerican.com I've always thought so—trees really are the stuff of life. A new study shows that rainforests are more critical than previously thought as they produce the rain that fills the streams that ultimately drives the rivers and the turbines. Deforestation in the Amazon region could significantly reduce the amount of electricity produced from hydropower. If trees continue to be felled, the energy produced by one of the world's biggest dams could be cut by a third. Read the full story here.
www.dailymail.co.uk "Rainforests generate their own rainfall," Dr Claudia Stickler, from the Amazon Environmental Research Institute International Programme (IPAM-IP), told BBC News. "They pull water out of the soil on a daily basis, they stay green and dark. The main reason is they are always pumping moisture into the atmosphere which ultimately ends up being rainfall and that's what keeps these streams going too."
Until now the presumption has been that cutting down the trees near a dam actually increased the amount of water flowing into the dams. But the study shows rainfall is 6-7 percent lower than it would be with full forest cover. Brazil has taken significant steps to halt the clearing of trees in recent years, but deforestation could now be on the rise once again.
The report focuses on the loss of power production, rather than the trees themselves. However, I look at the sad, treeless Easter Island and wonder what the whole world would be like without trees.
The report focuses on the loss of power production, rather than the trees themselves. However, I look at the sad, treeless Easter Island and wonder what the whole world would be like without trees.
www.rockinthegreenlife.com With more reliance on technology for reading, the expanding world population doesn't increase the need for paper. Thank God for that.
Studies have proven that humans share the same DNA as trees. It doesn't matter what excuse we have for cutting them down. The end result will make the world a poorer place. I love trees. Have you ever stood close to a sturdy trunk and hugged a tree? You receive a feeling of calm and strength in return.
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