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Charles, Prince of Wales (14 Nov 1948 - ) British prince who, while heir apparent to the British throne, takes an active interest in civic issues such as architecture, the environment, education and disadvantaged people.

Prince Charles - Reforestation Quote

“Trees are Worth More Alive Than Dead”

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“My Rainforests Project … has three main elements. Firstly, to determine how much funding the rainforest countries need to re-orientate their economies so that the trees are worth more alive than dead.”

— Prince Charles

Speaking at the Presidential Palace, Jakarta, Indonesia (3 Nov 2008)

More Prince Charles quotes on science >>

The Context of Prince Charles' “Trees are Worth More Alive” Quote

In Nov 2008, the Prince of Wales delivered the Presidential Lecture, at the Presidential Palace, Jakarta, Indonesia, the world's third largest democracy. His main themes were the stewardship of Nature, the global concern with climate change, and the need for the whole world to unite and “with a real sense of urgency and resolve to act together.” He firmly believed that “We need, in fact, to see the problem in its broadest sense; it is not just a question of environmental protection but also one of social justice and community empowerment.”

“The purest way in which we can demonstrate this respect is through our relationship with Nature and the natural world. The eminent Islamic scholar, Yusef Ali, who brought such a deep understanding of the Koran to the West in the 1930s, puts it beautifully in his introductory commentary on the Suras when he says ‘God honoured Man to be His Agent and, to that end, endued him with understanding, purified his affections and gave him spiritual insight; so that Man should understand Nature, understand himself and know God through His wondrous signs and glorify Him in truth, reverence and unity.’ …”

In contrast, the Prince stated that: “In the absence of this harmony and stewardship we risk provoking a crisis between Man and Nature, and that is what I fear we are beginning to see all around us. Without doubt, climate change is the greatest manifestation of this crisis. …”

“We must recognize that what we have in common is far greater than what divides us.”

The Prince congratulated the Indonesian President for the initiatives he had taken to address the problems. Then the Prince explained the Rainforests Project he had started to help with the needed funding.

“The simple fact is that the world is not paying for the services the forests provide. At the moment, they are worth more dead than alive—for soya, for beef, for palm oil and for logging, feeding the demand from other countries. Speaking as someone from one of those countries, I think we need to be clear that the drivers of rainforest destruction do not originate in the rainforest nations, but in the more developed countries which, unwittingly or not, have caused climate change.”

For the remainder of his time, Prince Charles addressed how he believed the governments, companies and institutions around the world could become involved in constructive actions and the possible approaches to raising financial assistance.

“This is precisely why I started my Rainforests Project which … has three main elements. Firstly, to determine how much funding the rainforest countries need to re-orientate their economies so that the trees are worth more alive than dead. Secondly, to show how this funding can be provided by the more developed world and, thirdly, to help identify ways in which the funding could be used in a durable and equitable way by the rainforest nations.”

Prince Charles referred to the initiatives that were already in progress. “There are moves afoot to develop markets that can provide incentives to reduce deforestation. But this may take too long and we do not have the luxury of time. That is why we must find a way of anticipating these markets and helping them to develop; of mobilizing the truly awesome power of private sector capital to provide emergency financing. This is at the heart of my Project.

“My Rainforests Project will propose is this: the rainforest countries should draw up national development plans that reflect the needs of local communities and rural economies, and put in place the infrastructure and the institutional and commercial capability to enable them to prosper without deforestation.”

Deforestation illustrated quote, “Earth, Skinned Alive” >>

More Deforestation Quotes >>

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Nature bears long with those who wrong her. She is patient under abuse. But when abuse has gone too far, when the time of reckoning finally comes, she is equally slow to be appeased and to turn away her wrath. (1882) -- Nathaniel Egleston, who was writing then about deforestation, but speaks equally well about the danger of climate change today.

Carl Sagan: In science it often happens that scientists say, 'You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken,' and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn't happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion. (1987) ...(more by Sagan)

Albert Einstein: I used to wonder how it comes about that the electron is negative. Negative-positive—these are perfectly symmetric in physics. There is no reason whatever to prefer one to the other. Then why is the electron negative? I thought about this for a long time and at last all I could think was “It won the fight!” ...(more by Einstein)

Richard Feynman: It is the facts that matter, not the proofs. Physics can progress without the proofs, but we can't go on without the facts ... if the facts are right, then the proofs are a matter of playing around with the algebra correctly. ...(more by Feynman)

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