Alternatives to slash-and-burn: A global imperative

Our generation has seen an upswelling of interest and concern for atmospheric pollution and for the concomitant destruction or degradation of our natural resources. High on the list of both these concerns is the rapid destruction of tropical forests and their release of greenhouse gases in the process. Much of the forest destruction is to provide lumber for building construction worldwide, and for fuelwood, but most of it is to provide land for agriculture.