Are rainforests doomed? New report reveals glimmers of hope for this iconic ecosystem

Last year, the planet lost 9.2 million acres of its tropical forest, an area a bit larger than the entire state of Maryland, according to new data from environmental group World Resources Institute (WRI) and the University of Maryland. That’s like losing about 10 soccer fields of forest per minute — for an entire year. Obviously, that sounds bad. It is bad. For decades on end, the world has watched its rainforests disappear and give way to giant farms and …