Reuters News Service reported that a recent European study shows the tropical rainforests are not disappearing as quickly as other reports have claimed. The European Union's Joint Research Centre figures from 1990 and 1997 show that rainforests shrunk 23 percent less than previously reported.

Authors of the report urge caution toward this data. The rate of destruction is still very high. It is estimated that an area roughly twice the size of Belgium is cut down each year. Most researchers rely on data provided by the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization to determine the amount of rainforest cut. That data shows 0.5 percent losses in each year. This study relied on satellite imagery and determined the loss was 0.43 percent in each year.