“Sweden is burning – it is the companies ‘fault”

“Debater: the Scope of this summer’s fires is rooted in how the Swedish forest industry harvested our forests”

“This is an opinion piece. It is the writer who stands for the views that are put forward in the text, not Against.”

“the DEBATE. Sweden are now suffering from the worst bushfires we have ever seen in the hottest for the month July ever measured. The last week it has burned on over 80 locations in Sweden. This has the Swedish forest companies have a responsibility for. “

“While our heroes to firefighters and volunteers are struggling to extinguish the fires, it is time that Swedish companies take their responsibility for preventing future disasters. If this is not done we will soon see, even worse, fires.”

“the Swedish forest, it belongs to the skogsbälte that stores the most carbon in the world, more than the Amazon. , We cut down all the forest it may have devastating consequences on the climate. “

“It is not without reason that we again and again going on to our Swedish forests must be protected while the climate has become increasingly warmer. “

“Both environmental organizations and independent scientists agree: we Want to have a chance to achieve the paris peace agreement, and prevent the climate change and subsequent severe forest fires, so must the old forest remain. Despite the fact it makes the companies in the day the opposite.”

“the Forest industry’s harvesting practices go in day out on the logging of old growth forests, plant monoplantager (sometimes with the invasive species lodgepole pine) and create large kalhyggessår in the forest landscape. “

“because of these harvesting practices, today we have just a little more than two million hectares of old-growth forest left in Sweden – the rest is plantations. “

“the forest companies’ harvesting practices contribute to the drought, the lowering of groundwater levels and greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, which means that it burns lighter and more in the Swedish forest. “

“This is no secret to the Swedish forest industries federation. By contrast, renounces the responsibility for the effects of their logging practices. “

“It may sound brutal, but the truth is that the extent of the fires that ravaged in the summer, has its basis in how the Swedish forest industry harvested our forests. “

“If not the forest industry to change their logging practices as soon as possible, so it will not only to burn again – it will be even worse.”

“Healthy, contiguous forests with different tree species in different ages, and a diversity of plants and animals, a forest landscape that is more resistant to drought and climate change. Healthy forest ecosystems can not survive by the companies, save small patches of forest here and there, which the forest industry today. “

“that the forests will be resistant to including fires need larger contiguous areas to be preserved. “

“today, We have enough knowledge to know what the impact of modern forestry – a part we have already seen in the summer. “

“the Swedish forestry company, SCA, has adversely affected the whole of the forest ecosystem in the pursuit of quick profit for the companies’ managers. But for the rest of Sweden has the profit a very high price. “

“It needs to be done is simple. We need a felling that takes responsibility for the biodiversity and for the climate. This means that the forest industry needs to stop expanding into the last of the old-growth forests. “

“Additionally, they need to immediately stop the current destructive logging practices like clear-cutting, scarification and likåldrig replanting. It is unconscionable that the forest industries today are logging in our ecologically important värdetrakter.”

“this Summer’s forest fires have reminded us that we are no longer in the 11th hour in the fight against climate change: the clock has struck 11:59. “

“the Seconds tick on. It is time to wake up. Think companies take their responsibility and protect our Swedish forest? Or should it burn again next year?”

“Lina Burnelius, responsible for forests Greenpeace”

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