About one third of the natural vegetation on the island of Borneo, one of the most biodiverse places in the world, was lost in the past thirty years. Through the decades, scientists and conservationists working on the island have grown a thick skin, and came to realize that reserves will not suffice to save the rainforest.
Science journalist Tim Vernimmen spent an entire month on the island talking to people devoting their lives to develop ways in which the island's inhabitants can make a living without destroying their natural environment and its priceless resources. How far can they go in working with companies without losing sight of conservation itself?
Meanwhile, Vernimmen looked into the role well-meaning western consumers of subsidized green energy may play in the destruction of the forest, demonstrating a tight link between the deforestation of an island on the other side of the world and our own daily lives. Separate articles on both subjects appeared in the Belgian newspaper De Morgen.
NEWSPAPER
'Reservaten alleen zullen het regenwoud niet redden' (De Morgen, 13 november 2013)
