I recently read an article about just how important the world's forests are to us. I thought it was pretty ridiculous how much we depend on them, and how ridiculous it is that we are destroying them the way we are when we need them this badly. It's not just the natives that need the forests, without them the whole world would be crippled. We depend on them for so much. For our water, food, timber and even medicines. They also consume harmful carbon dioxide and release oxygen, so they are vital for the atmosphere. The world depends on them to provide so many resources, but I feel that the people of the world are deforesting these vital contributors without even knowing it. Perhaps they do not realize just how important they are, or how much they are doing.
Since the early 2000's, over thirteen million acres of forest have been destroyed per year. As of right now, over 30% of the worlds forests have been leveled or thinned appreciably. People just don't know what they are doing. Environmentalists need to inform the public of just how much forests provide us and find a way, as a people, to help stop and restore the forests already destroyed. Small acts like those of Wangari Maathai, who helped Kenya repopulate it's forests, are what this world needs to turn the tables on deforestation. We just all need to do our own part to help or we will all feel its affects.
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ReplyDeleteI believe the conservation of forests is a huge way to help the environment. They help with the reduction of green house gasses in the environment as well as providing healthy air. I find it ironic that the more global warming becomes an issue the more deforestation is occurring. Preserving the forests can help protect our planet from the problems that we are facing now as well as other detrimental problems that may be presented in the future.
ReplyDeleteYou know how every environmental niche has its own keystone species. Like for instance a predator that controls the deer population is a keystone species. When that keystone species (predator) is eliminated the deer eat all the vegetation and the the environmental niche is drastically declined.
ReplyDeleteI think that the forest are the keystone species of the world. I mean I know its a large scale thought but if you think about it, it makes sense. If we dont have forest the CO2 levels will rise so much and there will literally be NO oxygen. The only way we could survive is with technology, and thats not very reliable.
I absolutely agree with this. In general, people don't realize just how much they rely on the environment - especially forests - for pretty much everything. Unfortunately, people often don't see the value in something unless it has a dollar sign attached to it. I long for the day when the environment has its own pricetag so both governments and people can really see how much damage they're doing to their economies and more importantly, their well-being.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree. Some interesting facts pointed out in the book Biophilia say that 1000 square miles of preserved forest will only see 1% loss of species diversity. Also, the human race relies on 7,000 plants that we use for food and medicine. There are about 75,000 other plant species that can be useful and produce food bearing crops, at a faster rate than what we currently have. Beans are one example and he also mentions there are substances that are way sweeter, and healthier than sucrose.
ReplyDeleteI love the movie medicine man with sean connery it is about a bioligist doing reasearch down in the rain forests to find a cure for cancer. well the urbunization folks were building a road right through the trees that nutured a flower that did have prperties to cure cancer. I did a post on palm oiland how the desforetation was killing the orangatans,needless to say i now read all labels before i purchace any products.Pass along and please watch my youtube vidio on these beautiful creaturs
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