WE'RE GONNA DIE BY THE YEAR 2020!

Topic: Many scientists consider humans as the most invasive species, as humans can greatly change and environment impact the living things that reside there. Are we being stewards of an the world? Take a look at an issue in which human intervention has positively or negatively affected the biodiversity of our ecosystems.

We're not actually going to die by 2020, but our forests will, if we continue destroying them. Scientists predict that by the year 2020, about 80 - 90 percent of our rainforests will be gone.

Here are some quick things about deforestation and rain forests that you may want to know before we begin.

• Everyday, about 137 species of plants and animals are dying in rainforests because of deforestation.

• You may think that deforestation only affects plants and animals, but that isn't true. Five centuries ago, the amazon rainforest was home to 10 million Indians, now, deforestation has brought that population down to about 200 000.

• About 10 million species of animals, plants and insects live in the rainforests.

• The amount of fish in the Amazon rainforests outnumber the amount in the Atlantic Ocean.

• Rainforests once covered 14% of the Earth's land and now, it only covers about 6%.

• Trees are important to the water cycle because they help return water vapour to the atmosphere.

• Plants in the rainforests have been found to fight against cancer.

With all the advancements in technology, humans are now able to clear vast amounts of trees, without much effort. This develops greed and selfishness in humans. Many companies who don't care about the environment decide to cut down as many trees as possible in order for them to make a profit. They use the trees for making paper and building luxurious buildings, but never took the time to see how it impacts our world. Agriculture is also one of the main reasons to why people cut down so many trees. Farmers want more land to raise their live stocks and for growing crops, causing so many trees to be cleared. We are called to be the stewards of the world and are to be the role models for the next generation. How are we suppose to set a good example for others when we are destroying vast amounts of trees each year? During the years from 2000 to 2005, there have been a loss of 90 million acres of forestry land. Many people are blind to see that our world is in need of help. Some people that know what's going on in our world decide to keep one eye shut and think that things will take care of themselves. Those who think this underestimate the importance of trees to our planet. Trees are vital to humans due to the fact that they take in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen. They provide clean air for us to breathe and are said to be the "lungs of the earth." By clearing out forests, we are releasing the carbon dioxide that was stored in the trees. This will help deplete the ozone layer and will in turn speed up global warming. About 1.6 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases are released into our atmosphere due to deforestation and this needs to come to a halt. Animals that can't adapt to the changes in the temperature will die, affecting the biodiversity of ecosystems.





18% of carbon released into your atmosphere comes from deforestation.


When portions of the forest are cut, the soil becomes dry, making it harder for trees to grow back. This is because the trees in the forests provide shade for the soil, keeping it moist and when they're cut, the soil is exposed to the sunlight.


Forests are also the habitats to many different species. The rainforest for example, are homes to over half of the Earth's plants and animals. When we destroy the homes of these species, many of them will die and if we keep on doing this, they may even become extinct. The species that do survive the horrible affects of deforestation may still end up dieing. All these species are part of a large food web. When one species of animals die or become extinct, there is less food for it's predator. So this in turn may cause the predator's population to lower. There are many species of animals out there that are needed for medical research. Some animals are used to make different kinds of medicine and their population is diminishing each year. "An estimated 39% of the world’s remaining frontier forest is under moderate or high threat. http://www.daversitycode.com/earthscope/)" This is a serious matter. If we don't stop our habits of cutting down trees, soon there will be nothing left.

The following video is something that I found on Youtube, demonstrating the effects of deforestation. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsq3WsFIVmQ







It may seem that there's no hope for our world, but activists like Greenpeace are fighting for our planet. They are doing everything within their power to try and save what's left of our forests. They've challenged governments and have done many protests to try and stop those corporate companies from harming the environment. The following news article isn't about Greenpeace fighting for deforestation, but it shows their will and passion that they have in saving our world.
http://www.thestar.com/article/703571# Basically, this article talks about how Greenpeace is protesting against the company Suncor, because their oil sands is causing climate change. You could also log onto the following website http://www.greenpeace.org/canada/en/ to learn more about these activists.


The companies that clear all these trees should be the ones responsible for the extinction of so many species. Birds like the Macow are diminishing each day and it is our job to help save them. If more people were to realize the seriousness of deforestation, then maybe more people would help protest against these greedy companies. Don't think that one person can't help change the world. Look at people like Craig Keilburger. If he were to think that his voice didn't matter, then so many kids out there today would still be exploited. VOICE YOUR OPINION! Spread the word of the dangers of deforestation and how it affects the biodiversity of our ecosystem. We need more people to help with the cause so it would put pressure on these corporate companies to stop cutting down our trees. We should all learn from the Aboriginals way of life because they are the true stewards of the Earth. They treated the environment with respect and would use everything till the last drop. They lived in harmony with nature and took care of it.
By doing something like planting a tree or donating to organizations like Greenpeace, we are being the stewards of the Earth.


In short, I don't think that many of us are being stewards of the Earth. Humans have more of a negative impact on the environment than a positive one. Not many of us actually care about the environment and thrive to protect it. We should start changing our ways and should protest against the major companies that disrupt the habitats of the species.

WORKS CITED

http://www.rain-tree.com/facts.htm

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/

http://www.daversitycode.com/earthscope/

http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/habitats/rainforest-profile.html