Wednesday, November 12, 2008
How many trees must development cut down before the rainforests crumble to their knees? The answer, my friend, is showing in the Amazon – in the past several decades a majority of the world’s rainforests, including the lush jungles of the Amazon River Valley of Brazil, have succumbed to development and logging. The paper industry is the culprit in much of this logging, with trees being used for pulp for packaging and paper. With the timely concern of climate change, citizens of Planet Earth should be concerned about the elimination of CO2-photosynthesizing trees.
While there has been much pro-environmentalist and “green” lifestyle initiative across the U.S. over the last two decades, not enough has been done to preserve our crucial rainforests. Development and tree harvesting to enhance economic status in the economically stunted nations containing the majority of the world’s rainforests continue to result in the destruction of over fifty million acres of rainforest per year. According to the Amazon World Park (UK) web site, deforestation contributes to the extinction of one plant or animal species every hour. Countless species have already disappeared due to deforestation. Forests also help purify the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, which has been implicated in contributing to climate change, while absorbing rainwater before releasing it back into the environment. Tree roots help contain the water table, the underground water supply which serves as the source of the majority of the world’s drinking water.
While it will take a collective effort to preserve the rainforests, you can contribute by practicing certain behaviors, beginning with refusing to purchase products made from exotic trees. In addition, it is important to recycle paper and use previously recycled paper for packaging and writing paper. Also, avoid buying exotic pets from the jungle such as iguanas which would be better off proliferating in their natural habitat.
There is a ray of light for the protection of the rainforests, as statistics indicate that deforestation in Brazil has decreased annually at rates of between 31 and 47 percent from 2005 to 2007. Despite this, during the closing months of 2007 Brazil’s interior department noted that deforestation was again on the increase. However, cattle ranching and subsistence agriculture continued to account for over ninety percent of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest from 2000 through 2005. Logging, road construction, river damming, and mining contributed on a smaller scale to the problem. It is critical to continue to support anti-deforestation efforts and prevent the destruction of natural habitats for the prevention of our climate and wildlife.
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