'Means of survival': Tanzania's booming charcoal trade drives unchecked deforestation

As rising gas prices drive demand for the polluting fuel, illegal loggers depend on the trade to live - even as the forest disappears around themLarge swathes of Ruhoi forest reserve in eastern Tanzania now lay bare, the ground in some sections dry and scorched, covered with stumps and brittle and fallen trees. The forest is being cut down at an alarming rate to meet the growing demand for charcoal in the nearby city of Dar es Salaam.As a result of high gas prices, about 90% of Tanzanian households now use charcoal or firewood to cook, which is fuelling rapid deforestation across the country. Continue reading...