The (Continuing) Tragedy of the Commons

For more than a century, the world’s forests have been under siege—by the timber industry, by the wild mushroom and maple syrup industries, by agricultural development, and even by millions of indigenous people living at the forests’ borders. Disappearing forests mean disappearing habitats for thousands of species.Ecologists say the loss is especially tragic in the face of our planet’s recent warming. Trees act as natural air conditioners: Warm tree leaves release water, the water evaporates, and the atmosphere cools. What’s more, today’s tropical forests store half a century of global carbon emissions in their trunks.Read more at...Seed, December 2006.