It is clear that deforestation is a continuing threat for
forests all around the world. About 3/10 of the land is covered by forests,
however strips of land the size of panama are lost each year (Deforestation).
Due to deforestation, many habitats are lost, and climate change then becomes a
dilemma. When trees are present in a forest, they serve many purposes, and some
of them include keeping the land moist and providing shelter to many animals.
So when trees are razed, there is a high probability that the sun will heat the
exposed land that the land would eventually become dry. At the current rate at
which the forests are being depleted, they could disappear in about 100 years (Deforestation).
Clearly, this is bad but how can we fix this?
We are depending on the forest and the land on which it sits
on. Logging, which provides us with wood and paper products also contribute to
deforestation. Nevertheless, we need these products for school, the
construction of homes, and furniture. So, are you willing to not live in a
home? Then there is another contributor to the destruction of forests, and it
is agriculture. This is probably the most destructive factor because trees are razed
to provide temporary land for crops. When the land is being used for crops, the
nutrients in the soil are eventually depleted, so this mean anything you try to
plant later on will not grow. This then implies that there will be constant
cutting of trees for rich soils.
Hopefully the Brazilian government will do its best to
protect the Amazon rainforest, for it is one-of-a-kind.
Works Cited:
-"Deforestation." National Geographic.
National Geographic, n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2013. <http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/deforestation-overview/>.
-Watts, Jonathan. "Brazil Plans Amazon Tree Census to
Assess Deforestation." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media,
27 Jan. 2013. Web. 28 Jan. 2013.<http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jan/27/amazon-tree-census>.
Wow! I know that the Amazon Rainforest is gradually being cut down for the sake of human desire, but I didn't know anything about the drought. Neither did I know about the Brazilian government trying to protect the rainforest. I find it heartbreaking that people are using the rainforest as means to contribute to building homes, furniture, etc. because I know how many animals would be out of a shelter and their habitat if the rainforest is cut down. There are so many beautiful plants, animals, trees and the list goes on about what the Amazon Rainforest gives life to. Humans can be so cruel sometimes. Great post! Very clear, concise, and organized. I hope to read more posts from you!
ReplyDeleteDid you know that the fast-food industry is one of the bigger contributers to deforestation? Rain forest is cleared for cattle grazing land, and a lot of that beef gets imported into the United States. So there is something that we can do: stop eating at McDonald's and Burger King.
ReplyDeleteCan't people use alternative products? Sustainable wood? plastic/vinyl, brick, concrete, etc.?
This was a good post, and I like how you used a variety of sources. I think you can really expand to a part 2 as well. There are other issues at play in deforestation: mining is also a big problem and could stand its own post!