Deforestation Essay: Trees Today, Gone Tomorrow

Deforestation Essay Trees Today, Gone Tomorrow. What once was a green Earth is now becoming a bleak, bland Earth, losing its greenness and now becoming a look-alike for the Red Planet Mars. Rainforests once covered 14% of Earth’s surface. Now they cover a mere 6% of the whole of Earth. This is concerning and it’s something which is only going to get worse if we don’t intervene.

Can you imagine a world without animals and plants? Not to mention the effect it will have on us, humans. The ever-increasing amount of carbon dioxide we produce will continue to destroy the world that we are living in and our cutting down of the rainforests is a major factor in contributing to the problem. Imagine future generations of children not getting to experience seeing the fascinating animals that roam our rainforests due to their habitat being destroyed for the sake of money. It will be a long journey, but I truly believe that deforestation should be ended once and for all, as its difficult to see how people can carry on cutting down our precious rainforests consciously knowing what they are doing to the environment and to the future of our planet.

Starting in the late 1960s the Brazilian Government, as well as individual civilians were guilty for the start of the destruction of rainforests. This was carried out as they desired to integrate the rainforest with civilization and create 9000 miles worth of roadways straight through the rainforest. Countless trees were destroyed at dramatic rate. To this day, this is still happening. The palm oil industry has exceedingly contributed to the wreckage of rainforests, which hold life to 70% of all land animals and plants in the whole world. The lives of these species are slowly beginning to slip out of existence. Unfortunately for some species their time is already over as from when deforestation began in the 1960s, we currently lose 137 rainforest species every single day and 28,000 species expected to become extinct by the next quarter of the century due to the destruction of our rainforests.

The animals we commonly perceive such as orangutans and giant pandas could be no more in less than 40 years. It’s hard to imagine isn’t it? If we continue to ignore the problems involved with deforestation the problem is only going to escalate, and we will reach the point of no return Rainforests are not only home to a huge number of animals and birds but to more than two thirds of the world’s plant species. Only an astonishing 1% of all species of tropical trees and plants have been tested by scientists for medical benefits, 137 of these species become extinct every day. If such species are lost forever it will be almost impossible for humans to revive them, as we never knew they existed in the first place. Potential cures for devastating diseases like cancer and HIV/AIDS may become extinct before they are yet discovered. Just think of what could be out there? It’s absurd how we are destroying the one place which could hold the key to curing some of human’s deadliest diseases.

We already know that 25% of cancer curing organisms have been in the Amazon rainforest, yet we are decimating one and a half acres of forest every second. Its unimaginable, but this is our reality. Despite this people do however believe there are benefits to deforestation, although it only benefits us, humans. Yes, it does create jobs and brings in profit to many individuals, but I think we could safely say that we would all rather find cures to these deadly diseases that plague our world and that have the potential to save us or loved ones one day, rather than grazing cattle on that land for the sake of a burger. It’s so blatantly obvious that rainforests have a huge medical value that has not yet been discovered. Regardless, if deforestation continues at the rate it does currently, we may never know how many more species out there could be lurking with a cure that may save our lives. It’s clear that we, all rely on oxygen to survive. With the Amazon’s trees and plants responsible for providing more than 20% of the world’s oxygen, we depend on rainforests for our survival.

The Amazon was given the nickname, Lungs of the Planet. We, humans, all around the world rely on the Amazon, including the Indigenous people. Indigenous Tribes who have been living peacefully in the rainforests for thousands of years, depend on the forest for their existence are becoming endangered. It’s vital that we see how many disturbing things wrong with deforestation and consequently we should take action now. The smallest actions can make the biggest impact, from reducing your meat intake to reusing plastic bags or even planting a tree in your garden. These minor steps can take a stride into reversing the effects of deforestation, as well as climate change. These simple acts that you, reading this could take on, can help protect the future of our rainforests, and ultimately our Planet. If you want them to be thriving for thousands more years, we need to act now or in 100 years rainforests will be a thing of the past. Although Brazil has finally put into place many policies and penalties which aim to deter both individuals and corporations from further deforestation, I know many people including myself, feel as through these actions taken are inadequate. Deforestation should not be taken so lightly. We should all put passion into caring for our planet. We live in a world where we care more about the money in our pockets than the future of our own planet.

Therefore we should take it into our own hands and make movements into helping save our planet for the sake of the animals, plants and the future of the human race. Life would not be life without rainforests and the breathtaking nature they bring, Imagine the potential, if we humans all worked together to help our Planet Earth.