Deforestation: The Destruction Of Forests And The Environment

Forests produce vital oxygen for people and wildlife. The world’s most vulnerable and endangered life exist in forests and 1.6 billion people rely on the benefits that they offer. Forests have integral part in maintaining the climate, however, man chooses to use this precious resource for his selfish purposes without any regard to the beautiful life it protects and shelters. Deforestation is one of the biggest threats to the planet and if we continue to exploit it at the pace we are going, they will cease to exist in less than a hundred years. Deforestation is the permanent destruction of forests in order to use the land for other purposes. An estimated 18 million acres of forests are lost each year. According to WWF, compare that to losing 36 football fields every minute of every day for a year. It is estimated that 15% of all greenhouse gas emissions are the result of deforestation. This environmental demolition is an ongoing menace in tropical areas such as Brazil, Thailand, Republic of Congo, and Canada, however it is in Indonesia where our biggest threat is unfolding. Once a lush green paradise, because of land change use, many areas in Indonesia look like a war zone now. As population and economies continue to grow, consumption increases and …show more content…
As an environmental hazard, it’s tentacles reach far and wide. We need these forests for many reasons. Aside from the devastating effects tropical forest loss has on biodiversity and communities of indigenous people, a major consequence of deforestation and forest manipulation is the release of heat-trapping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Forests provide vast carbon sinks that when destroyed emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. When we loose forests we loose the capacity to absorb and store CO2, but when we are slashing and burning these forests, the impact is far more severe and it is an enormously damaging component of anthropogenic