> Actually, if (and I'm aware it's a big if) they cut down the rainforest and plant new trees there, it's actually a net win for carbon dioxide. I believe it d

> Actually, if (and I'm aware it's a big if) they cut down the rainforest and plant new trees there, it's actually a net win for carbon dioxide. I believe it depends on what you do with those trees. A lot of the deforestation occurs through burning. An area is logged (bad for the ecosystem, not so bad for carbon), then its cleared by burning (bad for carbon) to make room for farmland.