Study shows forests have bigger role in slowing climate change

Here's some good news (for a change):

A major surprise was the finding that young regrowth forests in the tropics were far better at soaking up carbon than thought, absorbing nearly 6 billion tonnes of CO2 -- about the annual greenhouse gas emissions of the United States.

"This is huge and the relevance for REDD is here you have a huge sink that is bigger than the established tropical forests," said Canadell, referring to the U.N.-backed scheme reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation.

A good reason for the usually poorer tropical countries to stop clearing forests for wood and start reforesting for carbon credits which can be swapped for money. What it also implies is that if you were to selectively log re-established forests for high value woods (once they are mature), by replanting you would actually increase the carbon density of the forest. How's that for a change? Forest management would then become a significant, stable, renewable industry subsidised by first world carbon credits. This would be useful foreign aid (for another change).

I wonder if this applies to temperate forests? If so, Victoria and Tasmania might have a go as well. Yet another reason why Queensland land clearance not only has to stop but reverse.

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Study shows forests have bigger role in slowing climate change