DEFORESTATION IN THE RAINFOREST
Fact: Every minute, seven football fields worth of rainforest is cut down
More and more people are being born each day, so that means more and more people need houses. People also need paper, furniture, etc., and a bunch of other stuff made from wood, which (duh) comes from trees. Now, this can be pretty bad, depending on where your wood comes from.
You see, most houses or furniture or paper is made from trees that have been cut down from the rainforest.
Cutting down trees from the rainforest is a very bad thing. Rainforests are home to the most diverse, eclectic group of species, and because their home is being destroyed, they are going extinct. Rainforests used to cover over 14% of the earth's total surface, and now they only cover 6%. In 40 years, scientists estimate there will be no rainforests left. In fact, more than half the total of all the species in the world live in the rainforest. Plus, we need trees to breath, because they clean the air. The pollution we produce from cars and other things of daily life, called Carbon, or Co2, goes into the air. Carbon is a very harmful gas to us. Now, having said that, we also breath out Co2. However, trees basically breath in the Co2, and turn it into oxygen, which we breath, and without which, we would all die, of course. So, WITHOUT TREES, WE WOULD ALL BE DEAD. No joke. This is why it is important to: Reduce, Reuse, & Recycle! Also, try to buy paper that is not made from rainforest trees.
And remember, every specie counts:
PALM OIL AND SUN COFFEE KILL
The growing demand for Palm Oil is forcing people to make Palm Oil Plantations. In order to do this, they have to clear away acres and acres of rainforest, so they can produce it. You can see where this would be harmful.
People have tried making environmentally sustainable Palm Oil Plantations, but the supply has not been able to meet the demand. Just remember to check labels--Palm Oil may appear as: Palm Oil, Palmate Oil, or other words like that that contain the word "Palm".
Now, you probably love waking up in the morning to a steaming pot of coffee. But is your coffee really good for you? Well, if it's shade-grown, it is! But if it's sun-grown, well...NO.
Sun-grown coffee is killing the rainforest. Like Palm Oil, large plantations are needed to grow it. This means demolishing rainforests. However, shade grown coffee is much more sustainable and does not require rainforest destruction. (And don't worry, you have a thumbs-up on Starbucks!) And remember, read the label or do research to see if your coffee brand is shade grown or sun grown.
Let's Meet Some Endangered Rainforest Species: