The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) recently published an article about the efforts of Sweden to convince its government to halt deforestation.  A report issued by the WWF concluded that save for energy efficiency, preventing deforestation is the most monetarily efficient means of stopping climate change.  As the current E.U. president, Sweden can set a standard for the rest of Europe and ultimately the world.  This is especially important for developing countries, where removing forests to make room for crops can account for up to 80% of local greenhouse gas emissions.

The article indicates that forest fires and the clearing of land for agricultural and energy purposes are the leading causes of deforestation.  It is worth noting that vast amounts of land are being cleared to make room for corn, palm trees and other crops that are harvested to make biofuels.  This is an important tradeoff to consider when evaluating the sustainability of biofuel as an alternative energy source.  The most innovative solution to this issue of space is to build up, rather than out.  The vertical farming movement proposes that skyscraper-like structures be built as farms, thus using less land and providing easier access to local produce.  It remains to be seen whether this alternative will be carried out to fruition.