
Forests disappearing since 2000? Google cloud maps global changes - prateekj
http://www.nbcnews.com/science/forests-disappearing-2000-google-cloud-maps-global-changes-2D11591792
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contingencies
This is an excellent public resource, the likes of which individual
governments _should_ be releasing.

Three areas of personal interest.

(1) Northern New Zealand is also a forestry culture, and shows the appearance
and culling of dense pine forests.

(2) The areas around southwestern China, just across the border in to Burma,
show clearly the impact of China's demand for timber. While rubber plantations
can account for the small amount of replanting visible, the recent denuding of
the Kachin states of northern Myanmar (an armed Christian minority that
eschews membership of Myanmar entirely) is here very visible... particularly
areas around Myitkina (the Kachin capital), Hpakant (slightly west) and the
southerly adjacent Shwegu. An unending stream of trucks carries these forests
in to China for consumption as wood carvings and luxury furniture, often
processed by western-supplied high volume industrial sawmill equipment (one
supplier is a New Zealand company). Much like illegally logged timber from
West Africa, this furniture may then be trans-shipped to western nations (eg.
Europe) where distributors feign ignorance of its unsustainable origin, citing
the vacuous claims of Chinese factories. In exchange, the theory is that the
Kachin receive weapons and covert medical assistance for their leadership
(similar to other groups, such as the Shan and Wa armies to the southeast).

(3) The deforestation of North Korea in exchange for pitiful trade volumes
from China and unsustainable timber/charcoal driven winter heating (due to
inadequate clothing and uninsulated housing conditions) is also very clear.
The area near Changbaishan (Baekdusan), Korean culture's most sacred mountain
(now 50% owned by China) is particularly bad.

