‘Timber detectives' seek to foil massive thefts from Amazon, elsewhere
The sale of illegal timber exacerbates the shrinking of rainforests and hurts the fight against climate change. The criminal enterprise is the world's third biggest, behind drugs and counterfeit goods.
Drugs and counterfeit goods are the world’s top two criminal sectors. No. 3, with illicit earnings estimated at $152 billion a year, is illegal timber.
What tools does the world have to detect wood from nations whose forests are rapidly being depleted, nations that run afoul of treaties against illegal export? At an institute in Hamburg, Germany, the top “timber detectives” test—and follow the trail of illegal timber. (Pictured above, wood samples of 400 of the most important traded lumber species.)
Technology is making detection more precise—and 30 times faster, Peter Yeung discovers. That has implications for a world that must save much of its forests to forestall the worst of climate change. Read our full story here.
Pictured above, “timber detective” Gerald Koch, curator of the institute’s scientific wood collection. “A lot of the timber being illegally logged is difficult to trace and often customs declarations are wrong,” says Koch. “It’s our job to uncover the truth.”
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IN THE SPOTLIGHT
The forest beneath Toronto: More than a million people use the ravines beneath Canada’s biggest city each year to bike, walk, and discover hidden gems. But the forested valleys of the ravine system, which is 30 times the size of New York’s Central Park, are vanishing at a troubling rate. Fortunately, preservation and revitalization efforts are targeting the invasive species that are attacking the ecosystem. (Pictured above, a pedestrian and companions stroll through Moore Park Ravine.) Learn more about the revitalization of the “city within a park.”
IN A FEW WORDS
If we want to increase the number of women in science, we must increase the number of women’s voices at the table and enhance their abilities.Ineza Umuhoza Grace, Rwandan eco-feminist, environmental engineer, Nat Geo Young Explorer
FROM THE MAGAZINE
Real or fake? This sea glass may not be as costly as diamonds, but collectors consider it just as valuable. In fact, as sea glass becomes more rare, artificial versions, sometimes made via acid etching, are serving as substitutes for the real thing. How can you tell the difference? Red or orange shards are probably fake. Is the glass silky smooth or oily? Fake. The frosted white shards pictured above contrast with colorful sea glass. We have the story in April’s edition of National Geographic.
Also: See millions of years of history while beachcombing in San Francisco
LAST GLIMPSE
Morning fog over the Yukon: From the forest, you can see an expanse of wetlands that extends alongside the Yukon River. It’s an ideal area for early-morning fog, which Emily Polar captured in this image posted on our Instagram page. Click here to take a virtual ride down the iconic river.
