File:Charcoal Trade Timebomb.jpg

English: Masindi is one of those districts in Uganda where the main source of income is charcoal trade, a time bomb to the environment. The sale of charcoal to earn a living is a great threat to the environment since it involves the cutting down of trees which endanger forests and natural green cover. Charcoal makers target big and medium sized trees leaving smaller trees, shrubs and grassland. In turn the wildlife that relies on these bigger trees migrate and disappear for good. Furthermore, the burning of wood in kilns to create charcoal releases green house gases such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and methane that are also dangerous to the environment. Green house gases are transparent to the incoming (short-wave) radiation from the sun but they block infrared (long-wave) radiation from leaving the earth’s surface atmosphere. This green house effect traps radiation from the sun and warms the planet’s surface thus an increase in global warming.