全球1500名科學家日前公開致函加拿大政府，在信中表示為了地球的未來著想，位於加國北方的寒帶森林至少一半以上應受到完整的保護。科學家們指出，這片廣闊的森林在北方延綿，是地球上僅存最大的原始森林和溼地生態之一。
占地面積14億畝的森林不但是北美純水主要的源頭，也是大匹狼群、棕熊和馴鹿的重要棲地。寒帶森林更是陸地上唯一一處儲藏二氧化碳的所在地，貯藏量高達1860億公噸，等於世界連續27年消耗石化燃料所累積產生的二氧化碳總量。
不過人類伐木、採礦以及開發石油和天然氣等行為正逐步威脅這片寒帶林，其中目前僅十分之一的森林受到保護，遠不及長期以來科學認定永續生態系統所需的標準，科學家說。
擁有撰文數項IPCC報告豐富資歷的Terry Root教授也表示：「現在，世界各地的科學者齊籲加拿大應採取行動，履行寒帶森林保育框架」，保護這塊地球僅存的淨土。
At least half of Canada's northern Boreal forest must be protected for the good of the planet, 1,500 scientists from more than 50 countries said in an open letter to the governments of Canada. The scientists said the vast forest that stretches across the Canadian North is one of the largest intact forest and wetland ecosystems remaining on Earth.
The 1.4 billion acre forest is a major source of North America's fresh water and is inhabited by some of the planet's largest populations of wolves, grizzly bear and woodland caribou. The Boreal forest also is the single largest terrestrial carbon storehouse in the world. The Boreal stores 186 billion metric tons of carbon – equivalent to 27 years of the world's carbon dioxide emissions from the consumption of fossil fuels.
But the Boreal forest is under increasing pressure from logging, mining and oil and gas operations and only 10 percent has been protected to date, far less than what is scientifically recognized as necessary to sustain the ecosystem over time, the scientists said.
"The world's scientists urge Canada to take action now by implementing the Boreal Forest Conservation Framework, said Dr. Terry Root, author of multiple IPCC reports.
