For a chance to keep below dangerous warming of the planet, fifty percent of the earth’s surface must be in a natural state by 2030, say scientists interviewed in The National Geographic. The revelation was published as part of a science-based plan, A Global Deal For Nature: Guiding principles, milestones, and targets. The importance of grasslands, forests and other ecosystems in soaking up carbon from the atmosphere is not widely understood, says its lead author, adding that tropical forests sequester double the amount of carbon than that of monoculture plantations. Countries who have signed the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)– not the USA the article highlight- have committed to protecting 17 percent of terrestrial land and 10 percent oceans by 2020, though most are not on track to achieving their targets.

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