Education
The ecological significance of our planet’s rainforests cannot be underestimated. Rainforests may only cover 5% of our earth’s surface, but they are home to approximately 50% of all life on the earth. The extensiveness of species in these biodiversity hotspots is astounding. More than 50% of our world’s species of land-based animals and plants depend on the rainforest to survive. It is also an important habitat for many indigenous people. The rainforest plays a fundamental role in the regulation of global weather patterns, particularly regarding rainfall. The rainforest is known as “the Lungs of the Earth”, because it is the source of a substantial part of the world’s oxygen and can store large amounts of carbon. The aforementioned only begin to get at the ways in which our world’s rainforests are essential not only for human existence, but for the health of our entire global ecosystem.
Our rainforests, along with their precious natural resources, are quickly disappearing from the earth. Approximately 80,000 acres of rainforest are being destroyed every day. Tropical deforestation rates continue to rise every year. Some of the most prevalent reasons for deforestation include cattle, logging, agriculture, mining, and industry. Although the causes of deforestation are abundant, the ramifications are as numerous as they are destructive. Loss of biodiversity, climate change, loss of rainfall/drinking water, and soil erosion are just a few of the hazards caused by deforestation.
What secrets reside in these evolutionary hotspots? The breadth of plants, animals, and insects in the rainforest is staggering. More than 30,000 plant species have been identified but scientists approximate that another 20,000 still remain undiscovered and are eminently threatened with deforestation. In 1987, scientists found a tree compound that was effective against HIV in a rainforest in Borneo. Scientists returned to locate more samples of the tree but it had been already been cut down. Our desire for cheap wood may cost us a cure for HIV or even cancer. The eradication of our rainforests is a threat to us all. Not only do we have the potential to destabilize the global climate, jeopardize our quality of life and the existence of countless species; we are also losing the invaluable knowledge found in the biological diversity of our world’s rainforests.
The good news is that although the causes and effects of deforestation are plenty and daunting, there are proven and obvious solutions. As we begin to solve and reverse the problem with workable solutions, the good effects multiply and spread. There are steps we can all take to slow, stop, and potentially reverse the damage. Generally, immediate short term economic or social profits are what undermine our forests. The problem with past preservation methods is that they have not created any real economic incentives to respect and safeguard our rainforests. At ProtectTheRainforest.com, we want to create financial incentives that encourage forest protection rather than forest destruction. Our aim is to give interested individuals the resources and information they need to contribute to the protection of our rainforests at any level. Please contact us for more information about how to get involved. Thank-you and we hope to hear from you soon!
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