Encircling the northern hemisphere like a giant green halo, the Boreal forest plays a crucial role in protecting us from global warming. Its peat bogs absorb carbon dioxide and purify the air we breathe. But the forest is disappearing.

Veteran journalist and author Daniel Gawthrop reveals the array of wildlife, plants and peoples of the Boreal forest. He exposes the logging, mining, oil and gas extraction, and manufacturing that are devastating the forest from Canada to Siberia and turning it from the world's largest absorber of carbon dioxide into a producer of carbon dioxide.

As dire as the situation is, it is not too late. Gawthrop introduces the strategies that are driving sustainable development. As well, he appraises the most promising solutions to date, including co-management—a combination of traditional knowledge and modern science—and ecosystem-based forest use, which emphasizes small-scale forestry.