Read the last edition of Promotio Iustitiae, journal of the Social Justice and Ecology Secretariat of the Society of Jesus.
The relationship between forests and air is two-way. The State of the World's Forests 2020 says: "Forests cover 31% of the world's land area, but they are not evenly distributed across the globe. More than half of the world's forests are found in just five countries (Brazil, Canada, China, Russia and the United States)". Forests provide shelter, livelihoods, water, food and fuel. While some of the benefits of forests are obvious, such as fruits, vegetation and timber, others are less obvious, such as medicines and cosmetics. The livelihoods of nearly 1.6 billion people, most of them indigenous, depend on forests. In addition, forests are home to almost half of all terrestrial species. After the oceans, forests absorb harmful greenhouse gases and help purify the air, reducing the intensity and toxicity of pollutants. Forests also sequester and store carbon, provide clean water, serve as a buffer against natural disasters such as floods and prevent soil erosion. However, where the incidence of poverty is high, fuelwood collection or charcoal production is practised by millions of people around the world.
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