20061115   

Michael considered fate at 15:03   |   Permalink   |   Post a Comment

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Comment posted by  Anonymous @ 11/15/2006 5:33 PM:

you might still lose your bet, you know... "old-growth" is not identical to "existing". 

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Comment posted by  Michael @ 11/15/2006 11:55 PM:

Existing, of course, does not imply old growth.. But a trend towards forest expansion certainly can't hurt the situation for old growth.. 

Sure, the research has limited scope, but at least it is a feel-good story about the environment for once:

.. the researchers, using new analytical techniques, calculated that in the last 15 years forests had actually expanded in 22 of the 50 countries with the most forest, and that many others were poised to make the transition from deforestation to reforestation in the coming decades.

Certainly, the big offenders like Brazil and Indonesia are still hacking away at the trunks of our future, so to speak, but these are nevertheless attractive looking trends.

Especially attractive considering I made a bet with a friend of mine six years back on the matter. He bet me that over 95% of the old-growth forests in the world will be gone by 2050.. 95% of what was around when the time the bet was made, I presume. I think there is $10,000 in it for me, adjusted for inflation.