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In the 21st century, 90 percent of deforestation affected tropical forests, which lost 157 million hectares from 2000 to 2018. Photo: Kate Evans/CIFOR Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)Kate Evans/CIFOR Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Deforestation slows but global forests are still in danger

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The results of the latest FAO survey: agriculture and livestock fuel forests destruction. Tropical regions are the epicenter of the problem. The protection of forested areas could save 3.6 billion tons of CO2 each year.
Wetlands store the most carbon per unit area. Photo: Kelly Fike/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Northeast Region Public Domain Mark 1.0Kelly Fike/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Northeast Region Public Domain Mark 1.0

Carbon sequestration should address the tough balance between climate and biodiversity

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Carbon sequestration is an important tool for climate protection, EEA study says. But some practices to promote storage can reduce natural capital. The European agency ranked different terrestrial and marine habitats according to their storage capacity
FAO's Global Symposium on Soils for Nutrition will be held in virtual format between 26 and 29 July 2022.©FAO/Matteo Sala

At the end of July, a global meeting on the link between healthy soil and nutrition

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From 26 to 29 July, hundreds of representatives from the political, agricultural, environmental, scientific and industrial world will participate in the Global Symposium on Soil for nutrition. Until the end of May, a call of abstracts to propose reports to be presented during the days of the event. Here the main themes
Pollution alert: There are 10 million potentially contaminated sites worldwide. Photo: Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

FAO launches its mission against global soil pollution

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The UN organization presents the International Network on Soil Pollution, a project to tackle contamination and restore damaged lands. Fixing the problem - says FAO - is crucial to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals
In 2021, deforestation affected 5,800 hectares of land in Indonesia's easternmost province on the border with Papua New Guinea. Photo: Frans Huby Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0)Frans Huby Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0)

Paper and palm oil industry boost deforestation in Papua-Indonesia, NGOs say

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In the province of Papua, Indonesia, almost 6 thousand hectares of forests were destroyed in 2021, says the NGO Pusaka. A report accuses the subsidiary of a Korean company (which denies any wrongdoing) and two local operators of the palm oil industry
Urban forests grow faster and release less CO2 than their inland peers. Photo: Monika M. Wahi Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0)Monika M. Wahi Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0)

The paradox of urban forests: more polluted but even more useful for climate mitigation

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Two Boston University studies show surprising results: forests grow faster in "dirty" areas on city borders. Where they store carbon more efficiently
The effects of a flood in Valkenburg in the Netherlands. In the last 40 years, extreme weather events in Europe have caused half a trillion euros damage. Photo: Romaine CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain DedicationPhoto: Romaine CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

In Europe extreme weather events resulted in €500 billion losses since 1980

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Since 1980, extreme weather events have caused half a trillion euros losses and 145,000 deaths in Europe, EEA has found. Climate change remains the main threat. Today, the insurance coverage is still too low
According to a Chinese-British research, the low presence of some elements in the soil seems to be correlated to a higher mortality rate in Covid-19 cases. Photo: pxhere CC0 Public Domain Free for personal and commercial use No attribution requiredpxhere CC0 Public Domain Free for personal and commercial use No attribution required

Soil health and Covid-19 immune response could be linked, scientists say

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A Chinese-British research identifies a statistical correlation between the concentration of zinc, iron, copper and selenium in soil and the outcome of Covid-19 cases: the lower the concentration, the higher the fatality rate. The investigation suggests a link between the two events. But further studies will be needed
Antibiotics used for livestock promote climate change as they impact on soil microbes. Photo: Alan Levine Free for personal and commercial use Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)Alan Levine Free for personal and commercial use Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

How livestock antibiotics affect microbes and promote climate change

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Antibiotics and heat impact on microbes, accelerating their respiration andbCO2 emissions. Monensin, a widespread product used in animal breeding, is under fire.
Deforestation causes additional carbon emissions, exacerbating the climate emergency. Photo: Pixabay License Free for commercial use Attribution not requiredPixabay License Free for commercial use Attribution not required

Forests are losing far more carbon than expected thus worsening climate change

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Annual carbon loss from deforestation has doubled since the beginning of the 21th century. A Chinese study revises upward earlier estimates that assumed a decline. Agro-industry in the crosshairs