ENVIRONMENT-CLIMATE-FORESTS-GOVERNMENT-ANIMAL

Trunks of scarred trees stand in a dense forest, above The Arctic Circle, in Finnish Lapland near Kumpu on October 7, 2022, where during the last 20 years Scandinavian Arctic forests have been the target of an increasing amount of wood bugs, due to longer summers. The boreal forest, which is only second to the Amazon in terms of its vital role in ensuring the future of the planet, encircles the Arctic -- and it is in just as much danger from climate change as the South American rainforest.The deep, verdant green ring -- which stretches across Canada, Scandinavia, Russia and Alaska -- has been weakened by increasing forest fires, the melting of permafrost, intensifying insect infestations and warming temperatures. (Photo by Olivier MORIN / AFP) (Photo by OLIVIER MORIN/AFP via Getty Images)