March, 2012: Once again a reputable organization comes up with a delusive and misleading statement. Apparently it seems to be a real brainteaser to understand the difference between illegal logging and deforestation. Just like the EU, World Bank came up with a text in which illegal logging and deforestation are used synonymously.

World Bank Report "Justice for Forests: Improving Criminal Justice Efforts to Combat Illegal Logging report",  Page 37:

"Finally, countries should also concentrate on mobilizing the public to become involved in the fight against illegal logging. True success in combating large-scale illegal logging cannot be achieved with the support of only a few law enforcement professionals. It must have the backing of the public at large. Countries should be-gin by promoting public awareness that forest crimes are not victimless crimes. Rather, everyone suffers from them. Deforestation affects everyone by increasing greenhouse gases and by contributing to soil erosion—erosion that leads to flooding and the destruction of entire communities. Even setting aside the depletion of this valuable public resource, we find that millions of dollars, owed to governments for taxes and customs duties, are diverted from government coffers by illegal logging."

The positive aspect of this report: although publishing a report of more than 50 pages, the delusive synonymously usage of deforestation and illegal logging was stated only once…

The real ratio behind deforestation and illegal logging can be read here...

"A factoid just must be repeated often enough so that it will become a truth"

along the lines of "A lie must be repeated often enough so that it is believed"

May 20, 2012: There are people like William F. Laurance who then pick up these delusive and misleading statements to publish them over and over again. Like here or here...