Watching expert commentaries on our environment. De-forestation is most detrimental. Accelerates, exacerbates climate change. Cutting forests, intentional burning releases insane amounts of carbon. Simultaneously, eliminates natural air cleaning systems, oxygen.
Forests are home to an incredible array of animals. Mitigators of floods, stewards of fresh water cycles. Build soils, balance global eco-systems. Stabilise coastlines, diffuse heavy winds.
Basic yet alarming de-forestation facts:
1. Forests cover 30% of Earth. Over 30 years, 500,000 square miles of forests have been destroyed.
2. People cut 15 billion trees a year, roughly 41 million trees a day!
3. Wherever people go, trees disappear. Exponential due to industrialisation.
4. Agriculture, mining, drilling accounts for 1/2 of world’s de-forestation.
6. In Amazon (largest rain-forest), trees felled to grow soybeans, graze cattle.
7. In Indonesia, Malaysia (world’s oldest rain-forests), trees cut for palm plantations. Palm oil is ubiquitous in consumer products.
8. Large-scale mining operations (gold, copper, diamonds, minerals) devastate forests.
9. Logging has a huge effects. Wood, paper products are a major cause for de-forestation.
10. Wild fire’s are on the rise. 85% wild-fire’s are started by humans (camping, cigarettes).
Think, ‘Green Businesses’ are a solution to lessen reliance on paper products. Recycling is a tree life saver. Eco-forestry is a sustainable way to utilise forests for timber, wood pulp.
Responsible land planning in cities is great to stop de-forestation. Sustainable farming methods keep land fertile, productive. Lastly, inspiration in civil society is key to success.
Conservation International kick-started a 6 year effort to re-tree 70,000 acres in Amazon. One man planted a 1300 acre forest. Proves how much difference one person can make!