Forests, tropical forests in particular, are sponges for carbon dioxide. Through photosynthesis, these trees sequester significant amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as they grow, and store it in their roots, trunk, branches and leaves.

When a tree dies and decomposes, the carbon it has stored over its lifetime is released back into the atmosphere. When forestland is burned to make way for farming, ranching or other uses, that process is accelerated. Global forest loss contributes approximately 20 percent of our total greenhouse gas emissions each year -- more than all the trains, planes, and automobiles combined. In some tropical countries (i.e., Brazil and Indonesia) emissions from deforestation can be as high as 50 - 70 percent -- higher than from all other sources.

Forests, tropical forests in particular, are sponges for carbon dioxide. Through photosynthesis, these trees sequester significant amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as they grow, and store it in their roots, trunk, branches and leaves.

When a tree dies and decomposes, the carbon it has stored over its lifetime is released back into the atmosphere. When forestland is burned to make way for farming, ranching or other uses, that process is accelerated. Global forest loss contributes approximately 20 percent of our total greenhouse gas emissions each year -- more than all the trains, planes, and automobiles combined. In some tropical countries (i.e., Brazil and Indonesia) emissions from deforestation can be as high as 50 - 70 percent -- higher than from all other sources.


Of course, forests don't just absorb carbon dioxide. They also provide us with fresh water, clean air, biodiversity, fuel, food, medicine, wood products, and spiritual and recreational environments. When forests disappear, these goods and services are lost. The impact is often greatest on the 1.4 billion of the world's poor who depend on forests to feed, clothe and shelter their families. According to FAO we are currently losing forests at the rate of 32 million acres (approximately 13 million hectares) each year….

Conclusion

So trees absorb carbon when they are growing but are CO2 neutral when mature. Wood is stored carbon and remains stored as long as the wood is used in a sensible way. That’s not big news anymore.
But wood isn’t just wood !. Wood can come from clear cutting , which is how most non certified forest industries work and even from deforestation, as is mostly the case in the tropics. OR wood can come from a sustainable forest management. This still seems to be a surprise to some people.

CO2 is released when forest cleared, but FSC certified forest management which includes selective cutting of trees leaves the forest as a whole intact. Therefore an FSC certified forest where logging in done in a sustainable way continues to be a carbon sink and of crucial significance for the stability to local climate, biodiversity, people and so on and so on.

While our politicians are discussing who must cut in emissions and who must pay, we find it fair to point out a part of the solution already in place. A system which over a decade has proven succesfull in conserving the working forest and all its multiple functions. Indeed a low hanging fruit ready to be picked.

In our own quiet way we cry out to Mrs Connie Hedegaard: If you are serious about saving the climate you cannot neglect the forest. If you are serious about saving the forest you cannot neglect sustainable forestry ie. FSC !



Source: http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/climate.cfm?id=main