Why Deforestation is a Serious Matter
- Losing our mature forests
According to National Geographic, we are cutting down forests the size of Panama each and every year. Already in North America, we have lost 97% of the mature forest that existed when the European settlers came in the 17th century. The world’s rain forests could completely vanish in a hundred years at the current rate of deforestation. Although there are critics who claim that paper companies are planting fast-growing eucalyptus trees after clearing the land, the replanting practices of logging companies are a poor substitute for the natural forests as biodiversity and wildlife are destroyed.
- Species Extinction
The biggest impact of deforestation is the loss of habitat for millions of species. 70-80% of Earth’s land animals and plants live in forests. More and more species are going extinct every year because they lose their homes and since they become more exposed to hunters and poachers. According to the Center for Biological Diversity, scientists estimate we’re now losing species at 1,000 to 10,000 times the original rate, with literally dozens going extinct every day. At this rate, they are predicting that 30-50% of all species could possibly be facing extinction by mid-century.
- Driving Climate Change
As our forests disappear, climate change will only accelerate. Forests are vital to conserving the soil and maintaining our air by removing carbon dioxide and returning oxygen. The forests also keep the soil moist and help maintain the natural water cycle by returning water vapor back into the atmosphere. Without trees and the canopy they create, our lands are quickly turning into dry deserts. Trees also help to absorb the greenhouse gases that fuel global warming. Fewer forests mean larger amounts of greenhouse gases entering the atmosphere—increasing the speed of global warming.
Sources
O’Connell, K. (June 30th, 2020). Hemp vs Paper, Hemp Paper Benefits. Ministry of Hemp. Retrieved December 8th, 2020 from https://ministryofhemp.com/blog/hemp-paper/#:~:text=The%20very%20first%20paper%20in,produced%20much%20quicker%20than%20trees.