Deforestation of Amazon Rainforest
Nick Kearney
Deforestation
of the Amazon Rainforest
The
Amazon rain forest, known as the “Great Heart of South America,” accounts for
more than half of the remaining rain forests on the planet. The world’s largest rain forest spanning 2.1
million square miles is home to half the planet’s species of plants and animals. However, due to government policy, the
deforestation of the Amazon Basin was initiated 40 years ago to promote
agricultural expansion under the slogan ‘people without land in a land without
people.’ The continued deforestation of the Amazon Basin, and other rainforests
around the world will have critical consequences to our planet with respect to
global warming, climate change, and the air we breath.
The
Amazon rainforest is described as the “Lungs of the Planet” because it plays an
important role in regulating the atmosphere of our entire planet. The
rainforests clean the air we breathe because the physical structures of trees
are breathing organisms. The trees
absorb the carbon dioxide produced by cars, planes, and industry, store it as
carbon, and then release clean oxygen into the atmosphere. It is estimated that 5 billion tons of carbon
dioxide is absorbed each year by the rainforests. Should the deforestation of
the rain forests continue, more carbon dioxide would be released into the
atmosphere risking an escalation of global warming and climate change around
the world.
The
deforestation of the Amazon Basin is accelerating because of the increased demand
for logging, cattle ranching, and farming. In the on line article titled Battling Deforestation in the Amazon,
authored by The Wider Image, the small Brazilian town of Apui (population
21,000) is fighting back against the deforestation of their homeland. They are fighting against the fires, set by loggers,
which belch black smoke as mile after mile of rainforest is being eliminated.
In 2016 alone 3,085 square miles of rainforest was destroyed. That represents a
29% increase from the previous year. This small town is standing up against
major logging interests under “Operation Green Wave,” to slow the devastating
effects of deforestation. With the help of
1,300 environmental agents this small town is having an impact in slowing the
loggers, but the fight is just beginning and the world needs to help in this
effort. The threat of deforestation is real. And, if we value the air we
breathe, we need to not only take notice, but also take action to mitigate the
inevitable consequences of deforestation.
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