Deforestation, climate change, and global warming aren’t just words to be thrown around to look smart. They’re words that have serious consequences on the natural environment immediately and for generations to come. The effects can already be seen across the planet through rising sea levels, species extinction and more. The fact is deforestation accounts for a significant portion of global carbon dioxide emissions — estimated at up to 30%. Making it a key issue if you want to tackle global warming.

Deforestation and Global Warming and How It's Connected to Our Climate

Understand What Deforestation Is About

Deforestation is one of the biggest environmental issues of our generation.

The problem is that so many people are afraid of touching the issue. Instead, we should all be working on how to reduce it.

If we don’t, we could threaten the planet, and turn into a barren wasteland.

It’s the permanent destruction of forests, mostly rainforests. This happens sometimes to make room for farming, but mostly to make room for factories and houses.

Forests are protected by local and national governments, but not all of them do this, causing rainforests to be cut down.

Rainforests are very important to the environment; they filter chemicals in the air and water.

Deforestation also causes many species to become extinct. This is because when the forest is cut down their homes get destroyed as well. And they don’t have anywhere else to go.

All countries need to take the initiative of protecting their local trees, as they are known to be contributors to the economy.

However, economic issues cannot override environmental protection. There are ways to stop deforestation.

It is important that national and international organisations put in place stringent laws to deal with those who destroy forests illegally.

There are reforestation projects that plant new trees down the deforested area over time. This can be very effective as well as cost-efficient for forest maintenance. How you can help:

• -Find out about the reasons for deforestation
• -Learn about how it’s affecting animals and society
• -Start to question where products are coming from
• -Learn the facts of what causes deforestation
• -How we can have influence by planting more trees

The Impact on Planet Earth

Unfortunately, combined human encroachment and climate change, forests are being cut down at a startling rate.

Deforestation threatens to undermine the integrity of our planet’s only life support system and cause global warming to spiral out of control.

It is threatening endangered species, while also reducing water supply, food sources and quality, and polluting air and land.

Forests, land and soil are perhaps the three most essential bases of life on our planet.

Forests provide us with oxygen, soil provides us with food and land helps us to remain standing.

Without them, human life would be impossible.

It’s happening all over the world, and it has huge impacts on nature and people.

Habitats can be affected, impacting the animals that live there.

Forests also affect climate change. As trees grow, they absorb carbon dioxide, helping to slow climate change for everyone on Earth.

Millions of acres of rainforest are destroyed each year because farmers and ranchers cut down trees to make room for cattle or crops.

Rainforests are important because they help remove carbon dioxide from the air, reduce global warming.

With a population of over seven billion people, we all must make the most of the Earth’s resources.

The clearing of forests for human activities, is one of the biggest resource pressures facing us today.

In about thirty percent of deforestation cases, humans are directly responsible for clearing forests for their own use.

The truth is that our emotions and actions have an impact.

While deforestation is a serious problem, it’s important to realise that it is something that we can control.

It’s up to us, as humans with the ability to reason, to make more conscious decisions about our environment.

We can’t just sit back and wait for technology to solve these problems for us.

It’s time more people become aware of the issues facing our earth and work together towards a more sustainable future.

Deforestation Is Not Just Limited to Forests

Each minute, an area the size of 27 football fields is cleared of life (WWF) to create enough space for more livestock or crops.

And it’s not just limited to forests. Grasslands, Savannahs, and other areas are cut down too.

With these natural ecosystems lost, greenhouse gases increase, and entire species get pushed closer to extinction.

The West has a long history of removing forests due to logging and livestock grazing.

The removal of vegetation has led to soil erosion, damaged water quality and quantity, and avalanche hazards.

We need the rainforests. It’s time to stop this cruel and unfair crime against our planet.

A few simple changes in your life can make a world of a difference to the plants and animals that live there. And create harmony with our home, Earth.

Since the industrial revolution, humanity has altered its relationship with the environment.

The root cause at heart is the desire for profit.

For example, to make way for agricultural land, humans cut down forests. The result is fertile land.

But also, pollution in form of soil erosion and a decline of biodiversity, including wildlife populations that can no longer survive.

Another common cause is natural disasters like forest fires.

Also flooding from water due to climate change, and natural occurrences in nature that are worsened by human activity.

While forests disappear to make room for agricultural land, grassland for livestock and cities.

Let’s not forget there are hundreds and thousands of acres of non-forested land disappearing each year.

It’s hard to wrap your mind around an issue as broad as deforestation until you realise that it’s happening everywhere, every day.

From overfishing in the oceans to logging further into our national forests and grasslands, human activity is causing irreversible damage to our planet. How you can help:

• -Look at a comparison between forests and cities
• -Don’t fight nature, focus on the trees, not the forest
• -There are alternative ways to plant and grow trees
• -You can turn your yard into a garden
• -The forest is more common than you think
• -Most forests are just hidden in plain sight

How to Prevent Deforestation

A large proportion of trees are used for timber in the form of lumber and other construction materials, as well as paper pulp.

The world’s forests have always been one of the most significant resources for humankind.

The forests take a big part of our lives as well as it supports us in many ways.

Deforestation is the destruction of forests by either logging or unnatural death of trees due to lack of water, gases and pollution.

Keeping forests standing is important, trees absorb carbon dioxide, grow new trees, and give us oxygen.

The problem is that we are cutting down too many trees.

The world’s forests have always been one of the most significant resources for humankind.

Up until recently, deforestation was only a concern for certain remote areas where clear cutting was the main method of conversion.

With population increase and technological advances in methods of harvesting timber.

We now find that deforestation has increased at an alarming rate in many parts of the world.

It can be a major cause of species extinction and loss of many ecosystem services.

Experts believe that steps to prevent deforestation include protecting the remaining forests, then reforesting areas that had been deforested.

The sad truth is that we have already altered the climate so much that continued deforestation may be beyond our means to control.

That being said there are still ways you can help prevent deforestation.

Reducing waste and conserving your water are two important things you can do at home.

While citizen action and sustainable business practices are also essential for preserving the earth’s resources and preventing future loss of life caused by deforestation.

Forests are vital to the well-being of our ecosystems and the health of our planet.

And because deforestation is so detrimental, it’s important for anyone who lives in or near a forest, do their part.

Forests have been declining quickly over a global scale, and this trend needs to be reversed lest we live in a less healthy and liveable world.

How It Is Affecting the Environment

Despite efforts of environmentalists to save our planet, deforestation is happening at an alarming rate.

There are now simply more demands on our environment than it can manage. And unfortunately, many of these demands are necessary for our own survival.

Thankfully there are those who are making great strides in finding ways to protect forests and the animals that inhabit them.

Forests are essential to our ecosystem and our economy. They provide clean air and water, prevent soil erosion, and reduce the risk of flooding and drought.

Forests are destroyed for many reasons: logging, agricultural expansion, urban growth, road building or mining.

When forests are cut down or burned to clear land for other purposes much of their complex structure is eliminated and replaced by open fields or barren scrublands.

While fires start naturally in forested areas they now often begin as deliberate acts of arson as people try to clear land for farming or grazing.

The loss of trees also changes rainfall patterns which may lead to increased droughts and more extreme weather.

Deforestation is a complex issue that demands a multifaceted approach.

There is no quick-fix solution, but by taking small steps on a local level, we can all have a positive impact and help to preserve our beautiful planet.

As consumers, we have the power to change the way products are produced by supporting sustainable businesses and organisations.

We can also make an impact by educating our children about deforestation and what they can do as individuals to help in the fight against it.

Rainforests represent a particularly vital part of our planet’s ecosystem.

The damage that results from their destruction undermines our very ability to live healthy, fulfilling lives.

The loss of these forests threatens not only species and ecosystems, but also the human work that has gone into keeping these forests intact for centuries.

The world has much at stake, with little room for further destruction.

We must act now to preserve what’s left of our natural landscapes before the destruction becomes irreversible. How you can help:

• -It has a major impact on the environment
• -Protect trees and other plants from getting cut down
• -Learn how to become sustainably conscious
• -Understand how you can fight against it
• -The goal is to restore balance to the environment

Deforestation and Global Warming Are Closely Linked

Trees on land store large quantities of carbon dioxide that are released as they are burned or rot.

When we cut down trees, the carbon that’s stored is released into the atmosphere.

The way we use our land is making climate change worse – but there are things we can do about it.

The forests of the world are being cut down. This is not just threatening the animals that live there, but it is also causing global warming.

Trees help to keep the temperature of the earth down by giving out oxygen and taking in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Forests provide fuel, food, and shelter for humans as well as animals.

When trees are cut down and burned, greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere which contribute to global warming.

Climate change is one of the most serious environmental issues today.

It will affect everything from our food sources to the amount of energy we use for transportation.

While many of us already know that global warming is not the fault of a single person or group.

However, we must also realise that there are things that each person can do to help control its effects.

The loss of forests, especially tropical rainforests, accounts for more than 20% of greenhouse gas emissions. Yet deforestation continues.

Tropical forests provide much of the world’s oxygen and sequester huge amounts of carbon dioxide.

They are the lungs of the planet. We must protect them before they’re gone forever.

When the forests of the world disappear, the carbon that has been locked in the trees becomes loose in the atmosphere. And it stays around for a very long time.

Benefits of Reforestation

Reforesting used land helps improve ecosystem services.

One example is soil erosion, which happens when the topsoil is removed from fields or other bare lands.

Trees offer protection from wind and water erosion, and reforestation reduces soil loss by trapping water and reducing its speed through the soil.

On the other hand, deforestation leads to reduced plant cover such as trees that hold soil in place, thus increasing the rate of soil erosion.

Another example is increases in surface runoff, which causes soil and other contaminants to be carried into waterways.

Forests slow surface flow of rainwater to reduce the rate of contamination of waterways.

Reforestation brings back precious rainforests, rich with wildlife and natural resources.

Large-scale reforestation can also result in economic gain for the communities through eco-tourism.

Also harvesting for commercial reasons such as edible fruits and nuts, and a source of shelter for local populations.

Forests serve many important functions: they purify the water we drink and the air we breathe.

They lock away carbon to slow climate change, they help indigenous communities, and they shelter wildlife.

But human activities are putting forests at risk faster than we can restore them.

The benefits of reforestation are many, one of which is the elimination or reduction of pollution caused by deforestation.

From a geologic perspective, erosion and disruption to water tables affect major drainage areas, damaging human life in the process.

As we know, each human being influences the environment, so by saving forests just might help save us.

In the end, reforestation is all about saving our environment, and preserving it for future generations to come.

We may be a little late in terms of fixing the damage that’s been done, but we can still start right now if we really want to.

Everyone has the power to fight for Mother Nature and her precious trees.

After all, you never know which one of those trees might have grown into the cure for cancer. The benefits include:

• -Reforestation has a lot of environmental benefits
• -Gives life to animals, insects, and humans
• -Reforestation can improve a community’s water supply
• -Maintaining of the overall climate and reducing pollution
• -Reforestation is helping us capture more CO2
• -Reforesting is useful for our ecosystem

Ways in Which You Can Help

Forestry experts estimate that every six seconds a football field size of forest is lost.

Deforestation occurs for many reasons, from the harvesting of trees for charcoal, to the production of paper and palm oil, to the clearing of land for cattle ranching.

There are ways in which we can help save the world’s forests and their diverse animal populations, as well as all their ecological services.

Rainforests are home to hundreds of thousands of species, many of which are endangered.

And almost all of which are necessary to the global ecosystem in some way. The problem is, 90% of the area contains dense rainforest.

Unfortunately, that is the type of environment that provides the largest profit margin for timber and agricultural companies.

As we mentioned above, much of the deforestation that has occurred over the past century was caused by clearing forests to create land for agricultural use.

Today, deforestation is still a major problem, though less so that it once was.

In fact, in some areas, because of sustainable forestry practices and reforestation efforts, many forests are actually growing again!

There are many ways you can help reduce deforestation.

When purchasing wood furniture or paper products, make sure you find out if the item is responsibly sourced.

Check with your local government to see if they have any laws or ordinances that prohibit or restrict the use of illegally traded wood.

If you’re building a new home, look into environmentally friendly building materials such as sustainable bamboo.

Deforestation is a problem that should be embraced by every citizen of this world.

Reducing the rate of deforestation is something that we can all do to help preserve the environment.

It also helps to promote human well-being, increase positive biodiversity, and lessen global climate change.