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ENVIRONMENT

Woodsman did spare that tree

The United Nation's State of the World's Forest report shows that North American forests are holding their own:

* Approximately 10 percent of the world's forests are in Canada. Canada has more than 90 percent of its original forest cover, of which more than half are undisturbed forests.

* Approximately one-quarter of Canada's forests are managed for commercial use, and of that, less than one percent is allowed to be harvested each year.

* About one-third of the United States is covered by forests. Today, the US has the same amount of forest land as it did 100 years ago, despite a 143 percent population increase.

SCIENCE

End only 6 billions years away

For the first time comets containing water were found orbiting a star other than the sun. This finding suggests that other planetary systems may actually be similar to our own, and that there may have existed reservoirs of water which made life on another planet possible. Scientists say that even if there were life on these disintegrated planets, it is no more. Scientists believe they are witnessing what will be earth's fate - a mere 6 billion years from now.

MEDIA

Newspapers on the edge

Weekly newspapers that deliver edgy, often irreverent content were honored last week when the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies announced its annual awards. Gambit Weekly, a New Orleans publication, took home the most first prizes, winning for column writing, media and sports reporting, and cover design for papers with circulation of less than 54,000. The San Francisco Bay Guardian took the top honor for media reporting in its category (circulation over 54,000). The Dallas Observer (also a large circulation paper) and the Texas Observer won for investigative reporting.

(c) Copyright 2001. The Christian Science Monitor