When it comes to global warming and the regeneration of land, trees have enormous value. Yet, short-term challenges force many people in the developing world to cut down trees. Would it work to pay landowners to leave their land alone? Critics have argued that such a policy would simply make the landowners shift their land use to places not covered by the payments. However, a two-year study in Uganda shows that tree cover declined by about half as much in villages where payments were offered compared to the villages where they weren’t, and it found no evidence that landowners who were paid to preserve their land shifted their deforestation to nearby land.
Fighting deforestation by paying people not to cut down trees works
More of Today's Solutions
Okra and fenugreek extracts remove up to 90 percent of microplastics from water
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM The slimy and sticky qualities that make okra divisive on dinner plates might just help clean our water. ...
Read MoreHow to plan the perfect summer break: balance connection, adventure, and true...
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Summer is prime time for pressing pause. Between sunny skies and school breaks, it’s the season when many ...
Read MoreHow to cook your veggies to boost their anti-inflammatory powers
Every year the cold winter weather doesn’t only put frost on the grass, it also brings an increased chance of getting sick. In recent ...
Read MoreIndians recently planted 250 million trees—while socially distancing
India is committed to keeping a third of its total land area under forest and tree cover. In recent years the country has mobilized ...
Read More
