RAINFOREST DESTRUCTION

Rainforest destruction is happening for many reasons. Several of the reasons for rainforest destruction is because people want to live near rivers and streams and so they clear areas for themselves, people want to build businesses and economic growth. Other reasons for destroying the rainforest include people cutting the trees down for paper use, building homes, and more. The threats include agricultural, mining, and logging.

The rainforest destruction is happening so rapidly, it is said that every second, a portion of the rainforest the size of a football field is destroyed. That means, over 31 million football fields per year is rainforest destruction. This is devastating.

It is said that the tropical rainforests used to be over 6 million square miles and now only approximately 2 ½ million square miles are left.

Logging is a substantial problem and although loggers claim that they are selectively cutting and only taking older trees is untrue. They might take older trees only, but the problem is that the machinery they use to take them destroys the others and the land around it making it difficult for new trees to grow back.

Rainforest destruction is also occurring because people see the rainforest as rich soil that will make them rich if they clear out the trees and plant expensive crops. Unfortunately, the soil only proves to be good for a few years and then is ruined forever.

What can be done to stop the rainforest destruction? Many things are being done and many attempts like making major parts of the rainforests National Forests. This allows the lands to be government owned and preserved for tourism, which saves the trees and the homes of many animals. Education and assistance to the lower income countries that are tearing down the rainforest for money is what needs to be done. Trees are being sold to get people out of debt, to provide room for overpopulation, and more. In return, it is creating a danger to the entire world.

Rainforest destruction must be stopped, no minimized. The rainforest is vital to life on Earth and the more rainforest land that is destroyed, the more animals that are uprooted and lose their homes and die every year.

Related Links:
Rainforest Facts