Gregory Asner Quotations

With this new technology, we are able to detect openings in the forest canopy down to just one or two individual trees. People have been monitoring large-scale deforestation in the Amazon with satellites for more than two decades, but selective logging has been mostly invisible until now.

People have been monitoring large-scale deforestation in the Amazon with satellites for more than two decades, but selective logging has been mostly invisible until now.

This was totally surprising to us and alarming to our colleagues, especially those interested in conservation, climate change and the ability of governments like Brazil to enforce environmental laws.

Selective logging negatively impacts many plants and animals and increases erosion and fires. Additionally, up to 25 percent more carbon dioxide is released to the atmosphere each year, above that from deforestation, from the decomposition of what the loggers leave behind.

This method gives us an incredible map of the ubiquitous but very diffuse types of disturbances that exist in Brazil or in any tropical forest.

They were more than double what I expected. It's exciting science, but sobering.