22 May 2009
ERJ staff report (DS)
Washington DC -- Scientists have criticised the rubber industry for stripping away rainforests to plant natural rubber trees. The article, in the latest edition of 'Science' magazine, claims that over 500 000 ha of rubber plantations may replace lands now occupied by evergreen broadleaf trees and swidden-related secondary vegetation.
The article is titled, "The Rubber Juggernaut" and is authored by Alan D. Ziegler of the Department of Geography, National University of Singapore; Jefferson Fox of the East-West Center, Honolulu and Jianchu Xu of the World Agroforestry Centre, Kunming Institute of Botany, China. It is published in the 22 May edition of Science magazine, Vol. 324. no. 5930, pp. 1024 - 1025.
ERJ was unable to see a copy of the article before this went to press, and no-one was available to respond to a request prior to the US offices opening.
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Abstract from Science Magazine
Tread Heavily: China's Tire Demand Rolls over Southeast Asian Forests Scientific American (US)
Rubber plantations could have 'devastating' impact in Asia Canada.com (Canada)
Asia's conversion of forests for industrial rubber plantations hurts the environment MongaBay (Cyberspace)
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