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ExxonMobil Weighs in on Deforestation A well reasoned essay linking abundant forests to economic prosperity appeared as a sponsored advertisement, courtesy of the ExxonMobil Corporation, in the October 12 Washington Post (and presumably other media). Demonstrating that wealthier societies, which have turned from wood-fuel-based energy to petroleum-based energy, have cleaner air and fewer respiratory diseases than subsistence economies do, the well-known petroleum giant also provides (and graphs) statistics from the World Bank showing that deforestation has an inverse relationship to average income: "As incomes grow, petroleum fuels become available and choices improve. Petroleum fuels are usually cleaner burning, much easier to obtain and handle, and allow agricultural productivity to grow. With them, there is much less need to cut down forests for fuel or for additional agricultural land. Look at the chart, and notice that deforestation declines as countries become wealthier. In the most advanced countries, forests are even expanding." Yes, indeed. Back to "News" Forest Resources Association
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