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Hindustan Times
22-05-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Tropical forest loss doubles, fire a leading cause: Report
Fires caused by dry conditions, in turn brought about by the climate crisis resulted in record forest loss in 2024, including in India, according to new data from the University of Maryland's GLAD (Global Land Analysis & Discovery) Lab released by World Resources Institute's Global Forest Watch platform. The loss of tropical primary forests reached 6.7 million hectares in the year — nearly twice as much as in 2023 and an area nearly the size of Panama, at the rate of 18 soccer fields every minute, Global Forest Watch said in a statement on Wednesday. India saw a 6.9% decrease in tree cover loss between 2023 and 2024 but a 5.9% increase in loss of humid primary forests in 2024, according to the data. One of the factors that may have led to increase in primary forest loss last year in India are forest fires, the data indicates. Primary forest loss due to fires was around 950 hectares last year compared to 368 hectares in 2023, a 158% rise. India lost 22,958 hectares of primary forests compared to 21,672 hectares in 2023. Of this, 22,008 hectares were lost due to non-forest drivers. That is the global trend too. For the first time in the records of GFW, fires and not agriculture were the leading cause of tropical primary forest loss, accounting for nearly 50% of all forest loss. This marks a dramatic shift from recent years, when fires averaged just around 20% to forest loss. Tropical primary forest loss driven by other causes also jumped by 14%, the sharpest increase since 2016. 'This level of forest loss is unlike anything we've seen in over 20 years of data. It's a global red alert — a collective call to action for every country, every business and every person who cares about a liveable planet. Our economies, our communities, our health — none of it can survive without forests,' said Elizabeth Goldman, Co-Director, WRI's Global Forest Watch in a statement. Brazil with largest area under tropical forests, accounted for 42% of all tropical primary forest loss in 2024. Fires, fuelled by the worst drought on record, caused 66% of that loss-- over sixfold increase from 2023. The Amazon recorded its highest tree cover loss since 2016. Bolivia's primary forest loss increased by 200% in 2024. For the first time, it ranked second for tropical primary forest loss only to Brazil, overtaking the Democratic Republic of Congo despite having less than half its forest area, the analysis said. Fires burned five times more tropical primary forest in 2024 than in 2023. In tropical forests fires are almost entirely human caused, often started to clear land for agriculture and spreading out of control in nearby forests. 2024 was the hottest year on record with hot, dry conditions largely caused by climate change and El Nino. Latin America was particularly hard hit, the analysis said. The area under tree cover includes all tree cover (planted, natural, primary, agroforestry); while primary humid forests are essentially old growth forests which have not been regrown, Global Forest Watch data shows. GFW which mainly uses satellite data for their analysis records India's baseline tree cover as 38,830,421 ha in 2001 and primary forest cover as 10,185,436 ha. From 2002 to 2024, India lost 348,000 ha of humid primary forest, making up 15% of its total tree cover loss in the same time period. From 2001 to 2024, India lost 2.31 million hectares of tree cover, equivalent to a 7.1% decrease in tree cover since 2000, GFW said. The dominant drivers of primary forest loss in India are shifting cultivation, agriculture and logging. Most of the loss since 2001 has occurred in northeastern states including Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram etc according to GFW. From 2000 to 2020, India gained 1.78 million ha of tree cover equal to 1.4% of the global total. The Union environment ministry did not respond to HT's queries on the forest cover loss in 2024 . HT reported on May 9 that India reported that its forest and tree cover is now 25.17% of its geographical area as per the latest India State of Forest Report (2023).
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Tropical forests destroyed at fastest recorded rate last year
The world's tropical forests, which provide a crucial buffer against climate change, disappeared faster than ever recorded last year, new satellite analysis suggests. Researchers estimate that 67,000 sq km (26,000 sq mi) of these pristine, old-growth forests were lost in 2024 – an area nearly as large as the Republic of Ireland, or 18 football pitches a minute. Fires were the main cause, overtaking land clearances from agriculture for the first time on record, with the Amazon faring particularly badly amid record drought. There was more positive news in South East Asia, however, with government policies helping to reduce forest loss. Tropical rainforests store hundreds of billions of tonnes of carbon in soils and woody trunks. But this new global record raises further questions about their resilience on a warming planet. Many researchers are concerned some forests, such as parts of the Amazon, may be approaching a "tipping point", beyond which they could fall into irreversible decline. "The tipping point idea is, I think, increasingly the right one," said Prof Matthew Hansen, co-director of GLAD laboratory at the University of Maryland, which produces the data. Prof Hansen described the new results as "frightening", and warned of the possible "savannisation" of the rainforest, where old-growth tropical forests die back and permanently switch to savanna. "It's still a theory, but I think that that's more and more plausible looking at the data." A separate study, published last week, made a similar warning of possible significant dieback of the Amazon if global warming exceeds the international target of 1.5C. This would not only threaten the vibrant array of wildlife living in these most biodiverse habitats, but would also have serious ramifications for the global climate. Until recently, the Amazon had been doing humanity a favour, absorbing more planet-warming carbon dioxide (CO2) than it released. But the burning of these forests emits huge amounts of CO2 – adding to warming rather than limiting it. In 2023-24, the Amazon experienced its worst drought on record, fuelled by climate change and the natural warming El Niño weather pattern. Many fires are started deliberately to clear land for agriculture, making it difficult to disentangle the two. But the drought provided ideal conditions for fires to spread out of control, with Brazil and Bolivia most badly affected. While only a single year, it fits the expected pattern of more intense tropical fires in a warming world. "I think we are in a new phase, where it's not just the clearing for agriculture that's the main driver," said Rod Taylor of the World Resources Institute (WRI), which is also behind the latest report. "Now we have this new amplifying effect, which is a real climate change feedback loop, where fires are just much more intense and much more ferocious than they've ever been." In total, the record loss of the world's old-growth (primary) tropical forests released 3.1 billion tonnes of planet-warming gases, the researchers estimate. That's roughly the same as the emissions of the European Union. Countries in South East Asia, however, bucked the global trend. The area of primary forest loss in Indonesia fell by 11% compared to 2023, for example, despite drought conditions. This was the result of a concerted effort by governments and communities working together to enforce "no burning" laws, according to Elizabeth Goldman, co-director of the Global Forest Watch project at WRI. "Indonesia serves as a bright spot in the 2024 data," she said. "Political will is a key factor of success - it's impossible otherwise," agreed Gabriel Labbate, head of climate change mitigation at the United Nations forests programme UNREDD, which was not involved in today's report. Other countries, including Brazil, have seen success in the past with similar approaches, but started to see losses increase again in 2014 following a change in government policies. Prof Hansen said that although the progress in South East Asia was positive, the fluctuations in forest loss in Brazil show that protection policies have to be consistent. "The key we haven't seen yet is sustained success in reducing and maintaining low levels of conversion of these ecosystems and if you were interested in conserving the environment you have to win always and forever," he told BBC News. The researchers agree that this year's UN climate summit COP30 - which is being hosted in the Amazon - will be critical for sharing and promoting forest protection schemes. One proposal is to reward countries which maintain tropical forests through payments. The detail is still to be worked out but has promise, according to Rod Taylor. "I think it's an example of an innovation that addresses one of the fundamental issues that at the moment there's more money to be made by chopping forests down than keeping them standing," he said. Graphics by Erwan Rivault A simple guide to climate change Planet-warming gas levels rose more than ever in 2024 Tree loss drops after political change in Brazil and Colombia Deforestation surges in 2022 despite pledges Sign up for our Future Earth newsletter to keep up with the latest climate and environment stories with the BBC's Justin Rowlatt. Outside the UK? Sign up to our international newsletter here.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Tropical forests destroyed at fastest recorded rate last year
The world's tropical forests, which provide a crucial buffer against climate change, disappeared faster than ever recorded last year, new satellite analysis suggests. Researchers estimate that 67,000 sq km (26,000 sq mi) of these pristine, old-growth forests were lost in 2024 – an area nearly as large as the Republic of Ireland, or 18 football pitches a minute. Fires were the main cause, overtaking land clearances from agriculture for the first time on record, with the Amazon faring particularly badly amid record drought. There was more positive news in South East Asia, however, with government policies helping to reduce forest loss. Tropical rainforests store hundreds of billions of tonnes of carbon in soils and woody trunks. But this new global record raises further questions about their resilience on a warming planet. Many researchers are concerned some forests, such as parts of the Amazon, may be approaching a "tipping point", beyond which they could fall into irreversible decline. "The tipping point idea is, I think, increasingly the right one," said Prof Matthew Hansen, co-director of GLAD laboratory at the University of Maryland, which produces the data. Prof Hansen described the new results as "frightening", and warned of the possible "savannisation" of the rainforest, where old-growth tropical forests die back and permanently switch to savanna. "It's still a theory, but I think that that's more and more plausible looking at the data." A separate study, published last week, made a similar warning of possible significant dieback of the Amazon if global warming exceeds the international target of 1.5C. This would not only threaten the vibrant array of wildlife living in these most biodiverse habitats, but would also have serious ramifications for the global climate. Until recently, the Amazon had been doing humanity a favour, absorbing more planet-warming carbon dioxide (CO2) than it released. But the burning of these forests emits huge amounts of CO2 – adding to warming rather than limiting it. In 2023-24, the Amazon experienced its worst drought on record, fuelled by climate change and the natural warming El Niño weather pattern. Many fires are started deliberately to clear land for agriculture, making it difficult to disentangle the two. But the drought provided ideal conditions for fires to spread out of control, with Brazil and Bolivia most badly affected. While only a single year, it fits the expected pattern of more intense tropical fires in a warming world. "I think we are in a new phase, where it's not just the clearing for agriculture that's the main driver," said Rod Taylor of the World Resources Institute (WRI), which is also behind the latest report. "Now we have this new amplifying effect, which is a real climate change feedback loop, where fires are just much more intense and much more ferocious than they've ever been." In total, the record loss of the world's old-growth (primary) tropical forests released 3.1 billion tonnes of planet-warming gases, the researchers estimate. That's roughly the same as the emissions of the European Union. Countries in South East Asia, however, bucked the global trend. The area of primary forest loss in Indonesia fell by 11% compared to 2023, for example, despite drought conditions. This was the result of a concerted effort by governments and communities working together to enforce "no burning" laws, according to Elizabeth Goldman, co-director of the Global Forest Watch project at WRI. "Indonesia serves as a bright spot in the 2024 data," she said. "Political will is a key factor of success - it's impossible otherwise," agreed Gabriel Labbate, head of climate change mitigation at the United Nations forests programme UNREDD, which was not involved in today's report. Other countries, including Brazil, have seen success in the past with similar approaches, but started to see losses increase again in 2014 following a change in government policies. Prof Hansen said that although the progress in South East Asia was positive, the fluctuations in forest loss in Brazil show that protection policies have to be consistent. "The key we haven't seen yet is sustained success in reducing and maintaining low levels of conversion of these ecosystems and if you were interested in conserving the environment you have to win always and forever," he told BBC News. The researchers agree that this year's UN climate summit COP30 - which is being hosted in the Amazon - will be critical for sharing and promoting forest protection schemes. One proposal is to reward countries which maintain tropical forests through payments. The detail is still to be worked out but has promise, according to Rod Taylor. "I think it's an example of an innovation that addresses one of the fundamental issues that at the moment there's more money to be made by chopping forests down than keeping them standing," he said. Graphics by Erwan Rivault A simple guide to climate change Planet-warming gas levels rose more than ever in 2024 Tree loss drops after political change in Brazil and Colombia Deforestation surges in 2022 despite pledges Sign up for our Future Earth newsletter to keep up with the latest climate and environment stories with the BBC's Justin Rowlatt. Outside the UK? Sign up to our international newsletter here.
Boston Globe
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Supreme Court backs Trump ban, but the harm goes far beyond the military
That is appalling enough. But state-sponsored cruelty towards trans people — or any minority — bleeds outwards, affecting other groups as well. It also hardens Americans' capacity to tolerate more cruelty. And no one can avoid the harm caused by all of that. A bathroom in a swanky hotel in a state that leads the nation on equal rights seems like an unlikely setting to illustrate all of this, but here we are. On Saturday, Ansley Baker and her girlfriend were at The Liberty Hotel in Boston to celebrate Kentucky Derby day. Baker — tall, with close-cropped hair — was in the bathroom, minding her own business, when other women there decided she looked insufficiently feminine and was in fact a man. They alerted security. A guard at the hotel — an actual man — went into the women's bathroom, banged on her stall door, and demanded that Baker show identification proving she belonged there. As she exited, other women in the bathroom called her a creep and told the guard to 'get him out of here.' Advertisement Baker and her partner eventually left the hotel in tears. 'It honestly just felt like my worst nightmare coming true,' she Ansley Baker. Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff The hotel put the security guard on leave and issued a statement to say it 'is and always will be an ally of the LGBTQ+ community and a place where everyone is welcome and celebrated.' This is always where we were headed. Republicans' electorally useful obsession with trans people was of course going to mean that others who don't fit the stereotypes of what men or women look like would be targeted, too. And not just by party leaders, but by Americans who have bought into the hysteria and are just fine with its consequences. 'This administration is actively trying to create the people in that bathroom, who are doing their work for them,' said Jennifer Levi, senior director of transgender and queer rights at GLAD. Levi was one of the attorneys who argued the case that made Massachusetts the first state in the nation to recognize same sex marriage 22 years ago. For a while there, she saw a steady expansion of rights for LGBTQ+ people, including those in the military. Now she is representing 32 transgender service members and recruits Advertisement Levi is arguing that Tuesday's Supreme Court decision — issued in a different case challenging the ban — should Whether or not she prevails, there is the potential for much wider damage here, as Baker's experience shows. As Levi sees it, attacks on transgender people are a kind of test. 'If people can tolerate the cruelty done to transgender people, they can tolerate a wide range of cruelty against other individuals,' she said. 'You are transformed by living in a country that ... supports and endorses destroying the lives of people who are putting their lives on the line for you.' We have seen that transformation before, the gradual acceptance of escalating acts of cruelty, starting with a single, demonized minority. It never ends well. Globe columnist Yvonne Abraham can be reached at
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Supreme Court Backs Trump's Ban on Transgender Troops
The trans military ban is just one of several actions Trump has taken against the transgender community. Credit - Photo byThe Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that Trump's trangender military ban can be enforced while legal challenges proceed, effectively barring trans servicemembers from serving in the military. The 6-3 decision overturned the injunction issued by a U.S. District Court, which prevented the policy from taking place. In January, Trump signed an Executive Order entitled 'Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness,' saying that transgender troops did not meet the standard required of the armed forces, and directed the Department of Defense to enact a ban. 'A man's assertion that he is a woman, and his requirement that others honor this falsehood, is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member,' the Executive Order says. Trump signed a similar order during his previous term in 2017, which President Joe Biden reversed four years later. The decision regarding United States v. Shilling is separate from two other lawsuits that also address the ban: Talbott v. USA and Ireland v. Hegseth, which were filed by the GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD Law) and National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) in January, under the argument that the order violates equal protection laws. 'The Supreme Court's decision to allow the military ban to go into effect is devastating for the thousands of qualified transgender servicemembers who have met the standards and are serving honorably, putting their lives on the line for their country every single day,' said GLAD Law Senior Director of Transgender and Queer Rights Jennifer Levi. 'Today's decision only adds to the chaos and destruction caused by this administration. It's not the end of the case, but the havoc it will wreak is devastating and irreparable. History will confirm the weight of the injustice done today.' The trans military ban is just one of several actions Trump has taken against the transgender community—signing other Executive Orders barring them from updating their gender markers on their federal documents, and threatening to cut federal funding from hospitals that provide gender-affirming-care for minors. Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented in the ruling. Contact us at letters@
