Run Forest!

Forests are, to some extent, the lungs of the planet. In 2014, 50 countries and 50 of the world's biggest companies backed a declaration to reduce deforestation by 50% by this present year and to end such destruction by 2030 (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/nov/19/megaprojects-risk-pushing-forests-past-tipping-point-report). The 2020 target was missed and deforestation is actually increasing. It is noted that around 1500 large mines (50% of the total) are located in forests. The mines are concerned with the extraction of coal, minerals and metals. Many of these are in South America, S-E Asia and Central Africa, where monitoring and regulation can be difficult. Operation of the mines often involves the driving of thousands of miles of roads and railways, deep into the forests. There is a rising concern that this activity, if unchecked, will push forests past tipping points, where they effectively auto-destruct and become scrubland.