FREE ESSAY ON RAINFOREST DEFORESTATION

RAINFOREST DEFORESTATION

RETELL: BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE AMAZON RAINFOREST AND OTHER RAINFORESTS
The Amazon rainforest is the world's largest tropical rainforest. It covers approximately
2 million square miles in the Amazon River Basin of South America (Lyman 1998, 61) About
two-thirds of the rainforest lies in Brazil. The forest also covers parts of Bolivia,
Peru, Ecuador, Columbia, and Venezuela (Lyman 1998, 32) In the Amazon rainforest it
contains a wider variety of plants and animal life than any other place in the world. It
supports millions of plant, animal and insect species it is a virtual library of chemical
invention. 
Deforestation is a vital issue that is playing a great role all around the world today.
Deforestation robs the world of countless species, destroying crucial biodiversity and
losing species with potential uses in medicine, agriculture, and industry. Over half of
the world's tropical rainforest is being destroyed, most of which are in Brazil, and they
are continuing to be destroyed today (Silver 1998,11). The topic of rainforest
destruction raises the thought of biodiversity and cures for cancer, both of these
thoughts are very important reasons to end deforestation but it has not yet come to and
end. Global climate and the greenhouse effect both have an impact on the atmosphere and
as well as the biosphere. Due the rainforest it has found drugs for quinine, muscle
relaxants, steroids and cancer drugs (Hadden 1995, 27).
Tropical forest are destroyed for several reasons, there is an increasing demand for both
farm and grazing land which results in burning and clearing of the rainforest for
agriculture production. Unbelievably over 200,000 acres of rainforest is burned every day
in the world ( Silver 1998, 29). Another reason of deforestation is the continued
urbanization of the world and the need for construction of roads and industrialization.
The need for fuel and timber for construction is another major factor leading to the
destruction of the rainforest (Hadden 1995,45).
Deforestation has serious effects on the planet. These effects have negative consequences
on the Earth's biosphere, the biodiversity of the planet, and greatly threatened the
physical survival of people who heavily rely on the forest. Effects of deforestation are
too great to continue destroying the forest. Deforestation by burning lets out carbon
dioxide, which accounts for at least half of the greenhouse effect, in which atmospheric
gases, mostly produced by human activities, trap the sun's heat, slowly warming the
Earth. At least three-quarters of deforestation in the tropics are due to burning, which
release about 2.4 billion tones of CO 2 into the atmosphere each year
( Lyman 1998, 16). The greenhouse effect will have several affects on the Earth. One
problem is that it will cause a rise in sea levels due to the melting of glaciers. This
could cause frequent flooding. Also greenhouse gases can also have an affect on climate
change which can also affect the future agriculture (Silver 1998, 32). Also some studies
have showed that there may be a decrease in rainfall and an increase in surface
temperature. In the rainforest the trees protect the soil against erosion and reduce the
risks of landslides and avalanches. Soil erosion then leads to greater amounts of run off
and increases sedimentation in the rivers and streams. Besides, protecting the soil from
erosion, the trees create a canopy that regulates how much rainfall and sunlight reaches
the rainforests floor (Hadden 1995,22). When trees are cleared high sunlight and heavy
rainfall quickly damages the topsoil.
Tragically, rainforests once covered 14% of the earth's land surface. Now they cover 6%.
In less than 50 years, more than half of the world's rainforest has been burnt down with
fire and cut down with chain saws (Silver 1998, 44). Experts claim that the current rate
of destruction, the last remaining forests could be consumed in less than 40 years.
Experts also claim that they are losing approximately 130 species of plants, animals and
insects every single day as they become extinct from the loss of rainforest land and
habitats. How many possible cures to devastating diseases have we already lost?
ACTION PLAN
This project has made me realize the true value of how important our rainforest and any
other forest is to our planet. I have learned a great amount of knowledge from all the
researching that I have done. To prove how much I really care about the rainforest I have
put forward my time and effort to take action to save the rainforest and the destruction
of plants, animals and insect species. The following is a brief description of the seven
actions I have already started to take action, or am planning to do to make a
difference.
1. The first action that I have taken is to use less paper. Most paper comes from trees,
so I think using less paper will help save the rainforest. I am going to try to use
recyclable paper whenever I can or tree-free paper. Tree free paper is made out of other
substances besides trees. I don't usually write on both sides of the paper so I have
started to write not only on one side of the page but on both sides. And for printing
things off the computer I have started to use scrap paper if I am going to print a lot of
pages. Also when I pack my brothers lunch I have started to pack his lunch in a lunch box
rather than in a paper bag. I have started to also use cloth napkins at home instead of
paper napkins. And when I do use paper napkins or towels I make sure I rip the paper in
half if I am not going to use the whole paper.
2. The second action that I have taken is using less gasoline and plastics. A lot of oil
comes from the rainforest through extraction. Gasoline and plastic is made from
petroleum. Oil extraction is very harmful to the rainforest. I have started to car pool
and I have also started to walk instead of taking the car if I am travelling a short
distance. I have also reduced the amount of plastic items bought. I try and buy glass
items that can be reusable. Instead of throwing the plastic water bottles I buy I have
started to wash them out and reusing them.
3. Many rainforests are being destroyed for its red meat (beef). So I have cut back on
eating red meat, which was not a big problem because I don't eat red meat a lot.
Rainforests are burned down to make clear land. The land is used for the cows and grass
pastures are made. The beef that is used in fast food restaurants and frozen meat, and
pet food is for every quarter-pound fast-food hamburgers come from the rainforest. For
one-hamburger 55 square feet of rainforest is destroyed. I don't have a cat or dog but it
helps to not buy beef products for your pets to help save the rainforest.
4. I plan to do a small fundraiser to raise money to help protect the rainforest. I am
going to ask a combination of ten friends and family members or who ever wants to donate
a amount of $10. Ten people who donate $10 that's $100 I have raised. The money I collect
will go to the Rainforest Action Network's Protect-An-Acre program. The money that is
donated to this organization goes to the native people that live in the rainforest so
that they can protect the land they live on.
5. The rainforest is a very important place. It does not matter where you live it affect
all of us. That is why I have started to educate my family and friends about the small
things that we can do to save the rainforest. I have told my family all the things I have
learned and I hope they will start to take action because everyone counts and if everyone
try's then we can make a difference.
6. When I was on the internet I came across a web site where you can donate land for free
by clicking on one of the 9 banners that were paid for by A Taste Of Europe, Skin Care,
The Sharper Image and many other companies. By going to this site and clicking on the
button you donate 14.4 square feet of rainforest that is paid for the companies mentioned
above. The site is called The Rainforest Site.
7. The last action that I took was to write a letter to Boise Cascade. Boise Cascade is
the largest logger of old growth forest in the U.S. and also sells wood from endangered
forest around the world. Many other companies like Home Depot and Centex Homes have
agreed to stop selling or using wood that comes from old growth forest, but Boise Cascade
has not made that promise. Letters were to be sent by December 10th 2000 to
Ran-Children's Holiday Wish. To see copy of letter see next page.
I hope that all of these actions can make a difference and I hope by educating others
about the rainforest the destruction will come to an end!