Thai bishop slams deforestation caused by industry

(May 29, 2013) An archbishop in Thailand has slammed deforestation caused by industry and sugar cane plantation in the country. Archbishop Louis Santisuk-niran of Tharae-Nongsaeng said Thailands's forests are getting smaller and smaller as a result. Some 4,000 trees are destroyed every day to provide fuel to industry and clear land for sugar cane production. The local church is working hard to raise awareness among the new generations about Thailand’s ecological problems.
A report by World Wildlife Fund, WWF published recently, provided documentary evidence of the fast-shrinking forests of Thailand and Vietnam, which lost 43 per cent of their tree-covered lands between 1973 and 2009. Since then, deforestation has accelerated. Thanks to the initiative of the Archbishop, the local Catholic Church organised a three-day camp to boost youth interest in the country's environmental problems. The gathering, which was attended by 40 students from three different schools, offered an important opportunity for debate and awareness raising.
Source: Asianews