Is Deforestation Worth The Price Paid?
One of the most fought about issues in this world currently is the problem of deforestation. After reading a simple definition of deforestation many do not think it is very bad; even though deforestation is one of the main causes contributing to global warming. The Earth’s atmosphere is a very critical part of human survival and the rising temperatures are a very evident problem. There are also many different endangered species getting pushed out of the habitats and shelter by harvesting timber. Deforestation of world forests is not worth the price we have to pay. Rainforests are the homes of many wild animals including some endangered species that rely on those forests for shelter, food, and a water.
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First, deforestation is often directly correlated to global warming, “Deforestation is the second leading contributor for carbon emissions world-wide” (Climate Change: What We Do). By cutting down the rainforests, there is a substantial amount of greenhouse gases being released into the atmosphere. Every time humans start cutting down rainforests, they are depriving themselves of the oxygen they need from the trees who produce it. Second, deforestation does more damage to the atmosphere than vehicles, “From logging, agricultural production and other economic activities, deforestation adds more atmospheric CO2 than the sum total of cars and trucks on the world's roads,”(Scientific American). This quote shows that deforestation is a real issue that is on a whole other scale of magnitude. The very clear problem of mass deforestation needs to be recognized by every willing person to help resolve it overtime. Having a healthy living environment is very critical to living a healthy lifestyle and with the high amounts of pollutants it is hard to combat the problem; nevertheless, some are willing to stand up and fight the issue of mass
Alina Bradford from Live Science, explained in her article about deforestation and how there are different causes of deforestation such as, selling trees for products such as paper, homes, house hold furniture, and other house products. She also states that other causes of deforestation are making room for agriculture purposes, and to create room for cattle ranching as well. On the downfall though there are disadvantages of deforestation as well too as she explains. One of them in fact is deforestation is contributing to climate change and also the greenhouse effect too as well by emitting a great amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the earth’s atmosphere. The effect from that happening is carbon dioxide is a greenhouse which absorbs heat from the sun and doesn’t let it escape into space. As that doing so, the Earth is heating up each year due to deforestation. From that, it will cause global warming and climate change too. There are causes and different purposes for deforestation but there are significant effects that could end up due to deforestation based on Alina Bradford’s
Deforestation is the clearing of a forest and/or cutting down of trees for human benefits such as agriculture, wood exports, etc. Deforestation is the cause of numerous environmental impacts such as habitat loss, flooding and soil erosion. It can also cause climate change, by reducing the amount of rainfall and changing the amount of sunlight reflected from Earth’s surface and increases the risk of forest . Tree growth is important for biodiversity because they absorb carbon dioxide which is a harmful greenhouse gas . However, since deforestation reduces natural carbon sinks, it disrupts the balance between oxygen and carbon dioxide in the air causing the amount of carbon dioxide in the air to increase. This poses a serious threat since carbon dioxide traps the sun’s heat and radiated light inside the earth’s atmosphere. So, with the increase in carbon dioxide more heat is trapped and thus adding to the effects of global warming. Among the many places where deforestation takes place, Amazon seems to be one of the most affected ones. More than 20 percent of it is already gone, and much more of it is severely threatened due to deforestation . It is estimated that the Amazon alone is vanishing at a rate of 20,000 square miles a year .
Deforestation has always been a part of what people do. When people came from England, they had to make room for themselves to live. People cannot completely stop deforestation. The main effects of deforestation is the loss of species and animal habitats. To try to deter from this, people can respect wildlife conservation projects. This means that people can stop trying to tear down forests that have endangered plants or animals in them. People should see to detrimental effects that deforestation can have. Most of all, people need to have a understanding of what global warming is. These ways can help to slow down
Environmental issues affect every life on this planet from the smallest parasite to the human race. There are many resources that humans and animal needs to survive; some of the most obvious resources come from the forests. Forests make up a large percentage of the globe. The forests have global implications not just on life but on the quality of it. Trees improve the quality of the air that species breath, determine rainfall and replenish the atmosphere. The wood from the forests are used everyday form many useful resources. Moreover, thinning the forests increases the amount of available light, nutrients and water for the remaining trees. Deforestation (forest thinning) is one of the most critical issues of environmental problems that are occurring today.
Tropical deforestation has been estimated to account for about 15 percent of the world 's global warming pollution, and the world cannot fully address global warming without addressing this source (The Union of Concerned Scientists, 10).
Deforestation is the immense and damaging cutting down of trees all around the world. Deforestation is a social problem because there are many who support the continuation of the cutting down of these trees because they maintain it allows for necessary resources, while others argue that it negatively affects the environment.
Deforestation is fast becoming one of the world’s worst environmental/geographical occurring disasters known to mankind, and is due to humankind’s greed, ignorance and carelessness when considering the future of our environment.
“The Earth is 4.6 billion years old. Scaling to 46 years, human have been here 4 hours, the industrial revolution began 1 minute ago, and in that time, we’ve destroyed more than half the world’s forests.” - Unknown. One major environmental problem in our world is deforestation - what is that, you ask? According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, deforestation is the action or process of clearing of forests. Some consequences of this include a large contribution to global warming and climate change (about 1.5 billion tons of carbon dioxide each year), loss of biodiversity especially in tropical rainforests, and the extinction of many known or yet to be discovered species. But, through some Debt-for-Nature Swaps, leaving forests
Unlike some other places in the world, North America does not have a huge issue with deforestation. We have seen a large increase in forest density and acreage in the past one hundred years. The use of wood helps decrease the CO2 in out atmosphere and it becomes a carbon sink. Trees help take in carbon dioxide and releases oxygen during photosynthesis – which is important right? Right! Deforestation is the second major human cause of global warming as is the pollution of air, water, and viable oils. Disturbance of these resources can disintegrate the food chain which is not only important to animals, but, humans too.
Though deforestation has increased at an alarming rate throughout the past fifty years, deforestation has been performed during the course of history. According to the World Resources Institute, a majority of the world’s enduring naturally occurring forests are found in Alaska, Canada, Russia and the Northwestern Amazon. Research has demonstrated forests are more likely to be destroyed and repurposed where economic revenues tied to agriculture and pasture are prominent, typically attributed to advantageous weather conditions, or lower expenses of demolishing the forest and delivering merchandises to the global
Deforestation is the action of clearing or cutting down trees in order to create space. However, we know deforestation more as the commercial business of cutting down or damaging ecosystems in order for commercial benefit. Throughout the world, the Amazon is the largest ecosystem affected by deforestation every year. The controversy is whether the financial gain from deforestation is worth the horrible effects it creates. (Driscoll and Flynn 1).
People have been deforesting the Earth for thousands of years, primarily to clear land for crops or livestock. Although tropical forests are largely confined to developing countries, they aren’t just meeting local or national needs; economic globalization means that the needs and wants of the global population are bearing down on them as well. Direct causes of deforestation are agricultural expansion, wood extraction (e.g., logging or wood harvest for domestic fuel or charcoal), and infrastructure expansion such as road building and urbanization. Rarely is there a single direct cause for deforestation. Most often, multiple processes work simultaneously or sequentially to cause deforestation.
To understand the effects of deforestation one must understand the reasoning behind the decision to clear forestlands. Only in recent history, have studies been conducted to measure the impact that deforestation has placed upon the Earth.
Scientists themselves are just beginning to understand the serious problems caused by deforestation. Deforestation occurs all over the world by all types of people. Peasant farmers even add to the problem because in most tropical countries the farmers are very poor only making between eight hundred and fifty four hundred dollars annually (NASA Facts). Therefore, they do not have enough money to buy what they need to live therefore they must farm to raise crops for food and to sell. In these poor countries the majority of people are peasant farmers this farming adds up to a great deal of deforestation. These farmers chop down a small area of trees for there plot to farm on and burn the tree trunks (NASA Facts). The combined number of farmers maintaining this process creates a great deal of clearing and burning of the land they need to cultivate, which results in land being treeless. Commercial logging is also another common form of deforestation. This commercial logging wipes out massive amounts of land sometimes deforesting several miles at...
To overcome this problem person has to get awareness regarding what deforestation is and what are the effects of it if we continue to practice it on the same scale. Actually, trees are the only source to filter the harmful gasses which are present in the atmosphere and can balance the harmful effects of those