Agence-France Presse
May 15, 2007

OTTAWA -- Some 1,500 scientists urged Canada on Monday to protect its vast boreal forest from mining, forestry and energy operations, to stem global warming and destruction of wildlife habitats.

The scientists from around the world asked that half of the forest, which spans 1.4 billion acres (567 million hectares) in northern Canada, be preserved.

The remaining half would require "carefully managed development," they said in an open letter to Canadian leaders. The boreal forest is "the largest intact forest and wetland ecosystem remaining on Earth."

It is also the single largest terrestrial carbon storehouse in the world, capturing 186 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2), the scientists said. CO2 is one of the main "greenhouse" gases blamed for global warming.

However, the forest is under "increasing pressure" from logging, mining and oil and gas exploration and only 10 per cent of the huge area has been protected, they lamented.