Thread by @danielrembrandt

Forests are important. Here’s why🧵 1/n

Forests
- make shade & cool the surface
- capture CO2
- purify the air
- make clouds & rain
- prevent drought
- prevent flooding
- prevent erosion

@IrishRainforest @GeorgeMonbiot @AncientTreesATF @GretaThunberg
#rewilding #ClimateAction

2/n. Forests act as stabilisers for earth’s climate. They’re essential for our survival. And they’re under extreme threat.

🌳🌴🍂🌱🌿

@IrishRainforest @GeorgeMonbiot @GretaThunberg @gringreen @andypic @dwnews

3/n. Our ecosystem, the one we rely on survival for, relies heavily on forests. Our farmers rely on the steady rains forests bring.

Ironically agricultural expansion drives almost 90 percent of global deforestation.

@IrishRainforest @GeorgeMonbiot

fao.org/newsroom/detai…

4/n. “In 2020 alone, Earth lost nearly 26 million hectares of tree cover—an area larger than the United Kingdom” - NASA

#ClimateEmergency #rewilding @IrishRainforest @GeorgeMonbiot @gringreen @GretaThunberg @ProfBrianCox

earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/148674/…

5/n The tropics lost 11 million hectares of tree cover in 2021, according to new data from the University of Maryland. Of particular concern are 3.75 million hectares of loss that occurred in tropical primary rainforests.

@globalforests @GeorgeMonbiot

research.wri.org/gfr/latest-ana…

6/n Detailed data is available from @globalforests to help track what the current rate of destruction is and to help reduce this disastrous rate of our ecosystem’s destruction.

#ClimateCrisis @GretaThunberg @GeorgeMonbiot @gringreen @IrishRainforest

globalforestwatch.org/map/?utm_campa…

7/n Women are leading the restoration of the world’s second largest tropical rainforest. Around 500 women are helping to protect and restore rainforest in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

#ClimateAction #forests

@GretaThunberg @JaneyGodley @pimlicat

weforum.org/agenda/2022/08…

8/n Alongside regenerating the tropical rainforest to help combat climate change & boost biodiversity, a key aim is to create income-generating livelihoods for women through tree planting and the harvesting & sale of fruits and herbs from planted trees.

9/n “The greater benefit I see from planting trees is to get rain”.

This is probably the best reason to grow a rain forest. Farms need rain. Destroying forests destroys our ability to farm. 🌳

@IrishRainforest @GeorgeMonbiot

WECAN video:

10/n The women in the WECAN initiative grow more than 25 local tree varieties in their tree nurseries. 75% of the trees are for #rewilding damaged lands, and the other 25% for medicine, food, fuel & reforestation.

@pimlicat @JaneyGodley @DeborahMeaden @AOC @JMPSimor

11/n To campaign for change, the women in the WECAN initiative formed a local conservation committee, drafted a declaration & met with government officials, military members and local non-governmental organizations to share their plans and call for accountability.

@pimlicat

12/n

🍒 Food
💧 Water
🏡 Shelter
🍃 Clean air
🐦Biodiversity

🌲🌳#Forests provide so much more than what we can see - @FAO

13/n Of the world’s three largest tropical rainforests, only the Congo has enough standing forest left to remain a strong net carbon sink. The Congo’s tropical rainforest sequesters 600 million metric tonnes more carbon dioxide per year than it emits. @GeorgeMonbiot @ProfBrianCox

14/n And as more forests are destroyed, so the amount of rain reduces, and heat increases, which creates even more risk that remaining forests burn 🔥 in forest fires due to the lack of rain and increased heat. A climate spiral starts.

@GeorgeMonbiot

reuters.com/world/china/ch…

15/n The spiral is getting worse.

Compared to 20 years ago, every year about double the number of trees burn in forest fires now. 🌳🔥

#ClimateEmergency @GretaThunberg @gringreen

washingtonpost.com/climate-enviro…

16/n “We were warned that mega droughts could cause rivers to run dry by 2050. Well, it’s happening right now, from 66 disappeared rivers in China to Germany & USA

We’re in a #ClimateEmergency, despite our efforts to pretend otherwise” - @think_or_swim

17/n Forests cool the surface, make clouds & create rain.

Decades of deforestation means increased surface temperature, fewer clouds, and a lot less rain. Emptying rivers in Europe, Asia and North America. Rivers that haven’t been empty for a 1000 years

18/n We’ve known for decades that deforestation is a bad idea with very dangerous long term consequences.

Most ignored the warnings. These giant fires have not been the norm. In 2022 more than double the number of trees burn in wild fires per year compared to in 2002

@bmay

https://twitter.com/bmay/status/1560348555742781440

19/n Forests make clouds and create rain.

Decades of deforestation means fewer clouds and a lot less rain. That means empty rivers. Rivers that haven’t been empty for thousands of years. #ClimateCrisis

@BrentToderian @GeorgeMonbiot @rivercide_live @Feargal_Sharkey

https://twitter.com/climate/status/1563264392623374336

20/n Forests prevent floods.

And in cities, trees reduce runoff. That means also in cities, trees prevent floods, while also naturally cooling the city by a few degrees (without any electricity) and purifying the air.

@BrentToderian #ClimateEmergency

epa.gov/soakuptherain/…

21/n Some cities have had the foresight to start planting trees even on tall buildings. Milan is a leading example.

#ClimateActionNow #ClimateBreakdown #UrbanFlooding

weforum.org/agenda/2017/10…

22/n While planting more trees in cities and on skyscrapers has great benefits, the most important task is to restore natural forests along with the ecosystems that thrived before.

#rewilding #ClimateEmergency

@IrishRainforest @GeorgeMonbiot
nature.com/articles/d4158…

23/n "The ongoing and strong La Nina connects the droughts and low river flows in North America, Europe, Middle East and the southern hemisphere," says Richard Seager, a research professor at Columbia University. - @climate

24/n Some activists have realised how important it is to protect our forests and rivers, especially for our future. Agriculture is one of the main threats to our forests and rivers.

#ProtectOurForests @lifewithsommer @Feargal_Sharkey @GeorgeMonbiot @gringreen

https://twitter.com/lifewithsommer/status/1563064398041989122

25/n Preserving ancient forests like Reenadina wood, the largest yew forest in Europe, is crucial for preserving the ecosystem our survival depends on.

@IrishRainforest #ClimateEmergency

https://twitter.com/irishrainforest/status/1563028812824055808

26/n Peatlands are important to preserve & restore along with our forests. Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation, and is the most efficient carbon sink on the planet.

Forests and peat lands form complex ecosystems:
pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pn…

@TheMontyDon

https://twitter.com/themontydon/status/1563471473389748225

27/n “As well as carbon capture and storage, peatlands provide habitat to some of the UK's most threatened wildlife, and also filter water and prevent flooding downstream”. - @climate

@TheMontyDon @IrishRainforest @GeorgeMonbiot @Feargal_Sharkey

https://twitter.com/climate/status/1563766139821477889?s=21&t=I4MkK--x0QRzxpsnW5N-4w

28/n Forests and peatlands are important not only because they’re great at taking CO2 from the atmosphere & locking this in trees and the soil. But also because they prevent floods and droughts. #ClimateAction

Here’s a simple experiment to show why:

29/n That’s why forests are so important. Without forests, droughts occur more & surface temperatures increase. And when it rains, the rain cannot soak into the scorched soil, so we see extreme flash floods as we see in #Pakistan

@GeorgeMonbiot @climate

https://twitter.com/Fluffgar/status/1563463253929635841

30/n Forests reduce surface temperature through shade. Forests make clouds and rain, keeping soil moist.

As @ScottDuncanWX highlights, Pakistan experienced extreme heat from March to May this year.

Scorched land doesn’t absorb rain. So when it rains it floods. @GeorgeMonbiot

https://twitter.com/scottduncanwx/status/1563444009808236545

31/n The sudden floods have submerged 20% of Pakistan, affecting 30 million people.

Without enough forests, surface temperatures soar, soil dries out, and when it rains, the water doesn’t drain into the hard scorched earth. #ClimateEmergency

https://twitter.com/scottduncanwx/status/1563437146908037125

32/n There have been increased wild fires in northwest Brazil. A direct consequence of deforestation which leads to increased surface temperatures, lower rain fall, drier land, and more fires. Which then leads to even more deforestation due to the fires. 🔥 #ClimateEmergency

https://twitter.com/defis_eu/status/1563464405798768640

33/n Lake Balaton in Hungary is the largest lake in Central Europe. Due to the severe drought and heat wave, water levels are at their lowest for more than 100 years.

Long term deforestation across the European continent has altered the local climate and changed rain patterns.

https://twitter.com/defis_eu/status/1563858510827380738

34/n Extreme fire danger persists across a large part of Western and Southern Europe according to @CopernicusEMS for the coming week(s).

Decades of deforestation in Europe have increased surface temperatures and caused decreased rain fall.

#ClimateEmergency #ClimateCrisis

https://twitter.com/copernicusems/status/1563849731855499266

35/n Almost one fifth of EU territory is currently in an ‘alert’ state due to either drought or heat or both. The detailed report provided by @CopernicusEU is available below:

https://twitter.com/copernicuseu/status/1563061638936543232

36/n There is good news. Reforestation programmes can help restore forests that have been destroyed. It isn’t easy or quick, but with a little determination, a lot can be achieved in under 10 years, with brilliant positive impacts on the local climate and rainfall.

https://twitter.com/goodable/status/1562915266698395648

37/n Also in the uplands near Bogotá, reforestation is expanding - with the primary goal of ensuring water availability down stream while also preserving biodiversity.

Forests make clouds and create rain, helping humans to grow food. 🌧

#ClimateAction @GeorgeMonbiot

https://twitter.com/loic_pellissier/status/1563875504788316163

38/n Innovative “fog collectors” help collect water from fog to enable reforestation of degraded landscapes in the Canary Islands and in Portugal. Once the trees have been re-established, they will once more function as rain makers themselves.

https://twitter.com/solar1408/status/1563883989210996739

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