Nobel Peace Laureates Al Gore and Wangari Maathai Warn of Threat to National Security...

Nobel Peace Laureates Al Gore and Wangari Maathai Warn of Threat to National Security and Stability without U.S. Leadership on Deforestation

Development and Environmental Communities Convene Landmark
Discussion on Tropical Forest Protection as Key to Solving Global
Poverty, Climate Change
NEW YORK--(Business Wire)--
Nobel Peace Prize laureates Al Gore and Wangari Maathai today
called upon the United States to combat rapidly accelerating tropical
deforestation as a central element in the fight against global
poverty, climate change and international instability.

At a luncheon hosted by the Avoided Deforestation Partners, Former
Vice President Gore joined Maathai, founder of the Green Belt Movement
and 2004 Peace Prize winner, to emphasize the role deforestation plays
in poverty, conflict and increasing greenhouse gas emissions that
contribute to climate change. The Nobel laureates were joined by
leaders from the environmental and development communities, who
stressed the scientific and social importance of these resources to
global well-being.

"We have to start reducing our pollution and substituting
renewable sources of energy," Gore said. "But, we also have to provide
the means for stopping deforestation. One of the most effective things
we can do in the near term to address the climate crisis is to protect
the world's tropical forests."

Deforestation is currently responsible for about 20 percent of
annual greenhouse gas emissions - more than all the world's cars,
trucks, planes and ships combined - and rates of tropical forest loss
have increased significantly. A recent report showed that Amazon
deforestation has risen 69% over the past year. Worldwide, one acre of
tropical forest is lost every second.

Professor Maathai stressed the significance of protecting tropical
forests for the world's most vulnerable populations.

"The world's remaining tropical forests must be protected, because
without them not only will the global climate not be stabilized, but
the entire world will suffer," she said. "This is particularly true
for many in the global south, where protecting forests is not only
about conservation but also about economic development. Forests are
the source of livelihoods, water and energy, and in most places they
host abundant biodiversity that attracts tourism income. Destruction
of forests in many places has jeopardized key economic sectors."

Leading voices from the environmental and development worlds
discussed the indispensable role tropical forests play in both the
global ecosystem and economy.

Dr. Helene D. Gayle, President and CEO of CARE, said,
"Deforestation disproportionately affects some of the world's poorest
communities. The wholesale cutting of tropical forests robs vulnerable
people of their livelihoods and their identities, creating mobile
populations that are prone to hunger, disease and conflict. It is
crucial that the U.S. take a leadership role in fighting this cycle of
destruction and poverty."

As the world's largest consumer of resources and a potential
leader of efforts to combat climate change and poverty, the United
States has a central role to play in protecting tropical forests, the
speakers argued. They urged U.S. policy makers and the next
administration to incorporate forest protection into any upcoming
domestic climate legislation.

"Meeting the climate challenge requires swift and deep reductions
in heat-trapping emissions from both deforestation and burning fossil
fuels," said Kevin Knobloch, president of the Union of Concerned
Scientists. "Developing countries are seeking to preserve their
forests, and the United States has a unique opportunity and
responsibility to help them do so. The U.S. Congress must act quickly
to pass comprehensive climate policy that achieves reductions from all
major sources of heat-trapping emissions."

"There is no silver bullet for resolving the climate crisis," said
Carter Roberts, president and CEO of World Wildlife Fund. "We need a
broad effort that targets all sources of greenhouse gas emissions.
Tropical deforestation, which accounts for nearly a fifth of global
emissions, obviously must be an integral part of a comprehensive
climate change strategy."

Jeff Horowitz, Founder of Avoided Deforestation Partners, which
convened these leading voices on the issue, remarked upon the growing
scientific and political consensus about the importance of halting
tropical deforestation.

"A decade ago, 'saving the rainforest' was something that many
acknowledged we should do. Now that we have undeniable evidence of the
connection between forests, climate and conflict, it is clear this is
something we must do. Otherwise, we face unacceptable security risks
from catastrophic climate change, dangerous regional conflicts and
widespread humanitarian disasters."

The event featured closing remarks by former U.S. Ambassador
Stuart Eizenstat, who noted that the groups have begun developing a
"Call to Action" on deforestation for U.S. policymakers.

"This is the beginning of a very significant conversation between
the world's leading poverty and environment groups," said Eizenstat.
"The fact that two communities that have not always seen eye-to-eye
are joining together on this issue proves how crucial tropical forests
are to global stability and prosperity. It will be up to the next
President and Congress to heed these groups' call to action and make
reducing tropical deforestation a central element of U.S. climate
policy. The EU must also join tropical forest nations to embrace the
role that avoided deforestation can play in combating climate change
and poverty."

About Avoided Deforestation Partners

ADP is an international network of thinkers and strategists,
founded by leaders in carbon policy, finance, forestry and
conservation in May 2007 to support international efforts to halt
tropical deforestation. ADP promotes the adoption of a policy
framework that creates robust and efficient mechanisms that motivate
investments to avoid further deforestation. More information can be
found at www.adpartners.org.

About CARE

CARE fights root causes of poverty in the world's poorest
communities. We place special focus on working alongside poor women
because, equipped with the proper resources, women have the power to
help whole families and entire communities escape poverty. More
information available at www.care.org.

About the Green Belt Movement

Founded more than 30 years ago by Wangari Maathai, the Green Belt
Movement (GBM) began in Kenya as a way of encouraging communities to
plant trees as a symbol of their commitment to changing their lives
and environment. Today, GBM draws on a growing network of 6,000
community groups in Kenya to plant trees and protect the commons. In
so doing they have improved the quality of their lives and that of
their families. Learn more at www.greenbeltmovement.org.

About the Union of Concerned Scientists

Founded in 1969, the Union of Concerned Scientists is the leading
science-based nonprofit organization working for a healthy environment
and a safer world. Headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, UCS also
has offices in Berkeley, Chicago and Washington, D.C. For more
information, go to www.ucsusa.org.

About World Wildlife Fund

WWF is the world's largest conservation organization, working in
100 countries for nearly half a century. With the support of almost 5
million members worldwide, WWF is dedicated to delivering
science-based solutions to preserve the diversity and abundance of
life on Earth, stop the degradation of the environment and combat
climate change. Visit www.worldwildlife.org to learn more.

World Wildlife Fund
Ben Becker, 909-815-5924
bbecker@gloverparkgroup.com

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