ABSTRACT
Deforestation is a cause as well as a symptom of environmental degradation. Air pollution, soil erosion and desertification can cause irreversible loss of forest stands, even in areas where forests have been growing for centuries. Greenhouse gas emission is the principal culprit in the global warming phenomenon which contributes to a warming of the surface and lower atmosphere. Throughout history, the percentage of land under forests has been declining, and this process has been forests hastened in the 20th century by the requirements of industrial civilization for forest and agricultural products. Despite forecasts of a paperless society, the use of paper has been mushrooming in developed countries. Environmental activists have used paper and paper board recycling as one of the main items in their agenda to save trees and forests. Hazardous waste production occurs almost entirely in developed countries, where they are a byproduct of developed countries, the chemical and weapons industries.
