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So what level of degradation in the environment is acceptable to maintain an enjoyable lifestyle? What level of reduction in your standard of living is acceptable to reduce your environmental impact?
I will try to answer from my perspective, as a future forester. I know trees. I know forests. In Europe and North America, the landbase was deforested to an extent. Deforestion is the conversion from one land use (forest) to another (suburb or agriculture). In order to raise the standard of living in these areas, land had to be deforested. Poor people and forests are incompatible (unless the poor want to stay poor).
Currently, in the developed world, deforestation is essentially zero. Forested areas are harvested, but generally not converted to other land uses. The forested land base is actually increasing in some areas. A high standard of living is essential to protecting forests.
In the undeveloped word, deforestation is occurring. A large number of poor people with no agricultural experience conduct shifting agriculture in an area where they have little or no property rights. Until these poor become wealthier, they will continue to convert forested land to temporary agriculture and finally invasive grasslands. Only by increasing the wealth of the poor can deforestation be stopped, but some deforestation is necessary to increase their wealth.
Short of a permanent world underclass, this process cannot be stopped.
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Where there is doubt there is freedom.
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