Rainforest Destruction:
Understanding the Cross Cutting Issues InvolvedAbout
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The issue of rainforest destruction began to receive a lot of attention in the 1990s. Since then however, mass media has turned much of its attention towards other pressing issues like global warming and climate change. Always having a passion for the environment, particularly endangered species and habitats, I am using this blog as a tool to learn and to capture relevant information on one very precious habitat: tropical rainforests. By examining the causes and consequences of their destruction, as well as novel solutions for their protection, I hope to create a site that facilitatesdiscussion, engagement and action towards positive change.
Why Should You Care?
We rely on the rain forests in ways most of us can’t even begin to realize. From everyday household staples such as cola, chewing gum and bananas to tennis shoes, medicine and spices, the rain forest provides hundreds of products we often take for granted. However, the rain forest is much more important than the products which they produce.
While rain forests occupy less than seven percent of the Earth’s land area, they are home to over 55% of the world’s plant and animal species. To put this into perspective, we are losing 33.8 million acres of tropical rain forests every year. Every second, one acre is being destroyed! 33.8 million acres is larger than the total combined area of the states of Connecticut, New Jersey, Delaware, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont and New Hampshire. In the time it’s taken to read this paragraph, over 72 acres of pristine rain forest land has been destroyed.
This destruction has many dire consequences, including the destruction of nearly one hundred species of birds, animals and insects every single day, wreacking havoc on the region’s natural food chain. The equivalent of 35 billion tons of carbon dioxide, the major “greenhouse gas” is added to the global atmosphere, accelerating changes in the climate while increasing the risk of global warming. Nearly 558 of the Earth’s species live in tropical forests. Over 100 species of birds, animals, bugs and insects are becoming extinct every single day!
At this current rate, as much as 6% of tropical species may become extinct within the next decade.
There are so many issues facing the world right now, including world hunger, homelessness, global warming, and climate change, so what makes this one any more important? You’re right, nothing does. But. If we can end rainforest destruction, then we can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, a loss of biodiversity, and even irradicate some poverty. If you need even more reason to care about protecting our precious rainforests, take a few short minutes to watch these videos. Share your thoughts with me, or with someone you know; awareness is the first step towards finding the answer.
