With the rise in CO2 levels in the atmosphere and the disappearance of mountain and glacial snow and ice, it may be surprising to learn that tree agriculture may be having one of the most significant impacts on the health of various parts of the ecosystem. Scientists readily agree that the current and dramatic rises in CO2 are due to man made variables; namely, the burning of fossil fuels. With this in mind it is easy to conjure the Los Angeles production mogul in his enormous SUV blasting the AC with the windows down.
It is farming on its current scale, however that is producing the more palpable result in regards to local climates, around 72% of the excess CO2 in our atmosphere is from agriculture. Whether from the vehicles that plant and harvest the crops, production of herbicides and pesticides, or its shipment around the world, modern agriculture appears to be at the heart of the issue. Rain forests are disappearing to make way for commodity agriculture. Palm oil, which exists in roughly 50% of global packaged consumables, is grown in the Amazon, which is being razed to facilitate a rise in use. The production of beef and leather for export all over the world also require vast stretches of land for the animals to graze. Again it is the Amazon that is taking the hit.
In relation to climate change, this means more greenhouse gas emissions every year to keep up with rising demand in food and clothing industries. By razing the forests, we are altering the amount of land cover on the Earth's surface, making it more difficult to process and circulate greenhouse gasses effectively.
Full Article @ http://www.nwf.org/Global-Warming/Policy-Solutions/Forests-and-Farms/Tropical-Deforestation/International-Agriculture.aspx
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