December 1998

Cause and effect in the forest

Uplifting tales of Hoffmann
By Michel Chevallier

After a lifetime of working for the environment, Luc Hoffmann, one of the founders of WWF, is optimistic about our ability to save the planet for the future

How the profit motive can save forests
By Chris Elliott

International agreements and government supervision are all very well, but the real way to ensure responsible forest management is to apply commercial principles that benefit the companies involved and their shareholders

Under threat from the super-net
By Lesa Griffith

As over-fishing leads to catch restrictions in some parts of the world, government-subsidized commercial fleets are turning to the rich waters off West Africa. That is bad news for countries such as Mauritania — and for the marine environment

Sparing a dime for the rainforest
By Regina Vasquez

The vision of the murdered ecologist Chico Mendes was to save the Amazonian forests by allowing their inhabitants to make a sustainable living from them. His idea was adopted, but renewed effort is needed to make it work