Friends of the Earth's Executive Director Andy Atkins said earlier this evening that an area three times the size of Wales of rainforest is destroyed each year.
I said that an area of one and a half acres of rainforest is destroyed every second.
Are we talking the same language?
One and a half acres per second is 1.5 x 60 x 60 x 24 x 365 = 47, 304, 000 acres each year.
The area of Wales is 20, 780 square kilometres = 2, 078, 000ha each year = 5, 134, 849 acres per year
So, three Wales are 15, 404, 549 acres each year.
So we aren't talking the same language! My figure (which might well be wrong!) is three times higher than Andy's (which might well be wrong too!).
Neither of us has actually measured the amount of rainforest disappearing. It's always wise to take people's statistics with a pinch of salt - but it's also well worth noticing that if either of us is even vaguely right then there is an awful lot of rainforest destruction going on! On that we agree!
And if anyone would kindly check my maths then I'd be happy to correct any mistakes! And if anyone has the 'real' figure for the rate of rainforest destruction then please let me know - I bet there are an awful lot of different estimates out there!
Mark whatever the figures are they are horrific aren't they but I find it hard to be critical as we seem to be as guilty as anyone in lots of different ways.I always think we go along with thought that individually we can't make much difference.If only someone could get groups to join forces.