Let’s Save our Tropical Forests

Backgrounder

Tropical forests. Since the beginning of time they have been a peaceful paradise of huge trees, leafy plants and more birds, animals and insects than you can imagine. But, tragically, these forests are disappearing at an alarming rate, about 30 hectares a minute. In fact, 32 million hectares of tropical forests are destroyed each year. That’s the size of a small country like Malaysia. We should all be concerned, whether we live near a tropical forest or not.

Because even though tropical forests cover only 14% of the earth’s total land, they are home to at least one?half of all living things on this planet. As the forests are destroyed, 137 different types of animals, birds, reptiles and insects disappear every day.

Who is destroying the tropical forests and why? Tropical forests are being cut down for a lot of reasons. People who live near tropical forests cut down the forest so they can grow food and raise cattle. But the new land they clear isn’t good for farming. Once the trees are gone, soil dries up and blows away. That’s because trees and plants protect the soil from strong winds and rain, provide food for the soil as their dead leaves fall to the ground, and hold moisture in the soil through their roots.

So, once it’s cleared, tropical forest land is good for only two or three harvests. Then, people move on and clear more land, and the problem gets worse.

But, while some of the cutting of the tropical forests is done by farmers, damage is also being done by big companies. These companies go to the tropical forests looking for cheap sources of wood and beef. So, they cut down large parts of the forest. And they burn their way through the forests to make room for cattle. They drill the land for oil and mine it for gold and other minerals. You can see how all of this adds up to a lot of destruction. And its not just trees and plants that are being destroyed in the tropical forests. Tens of thousands of different kinds of animals disappear each year. About 200 million people live in tropical forests also. Their way of life is threatened because they are forced off their land to make way for the cutting, burning, and flooding.

Why forests are important to us all? Forests are packed with life. And they give life. You see, tropical forests are often called the “lungs” of the earth. They help keep oxygen in the air that we need to live. If our lungs fail, we die. If we lose the earth’s lungs, well – you can imagine the danger to the world.

And while it’s true that most of the world’s tropical forests are in South America, especially Brazil, tropical forests influence the weather everywhere – even where you live. That’s because trees absorb a heavy gas called carbon dioxide from the air around us.

When trees are burned, carbon dioxide in the leaves is released back into the air. When carbon dioxide builds up in the air, it traps heat close to the earth instead of letting the heat go out into space. So when there is too much carbon dioxide in the air, the earth’s temperature rises. This is what scientists call global warming. Global warming causes strange weather patterns. People in different parts of the world are noticing hotter summers and colder winters, stronger hurricanes and more frequent floods. Since trees help reduce global warming, this is another reason tropical forests must be saved.

And we need to save tropical forests because they give us much of our food and medicines. For instance, birth control pills and drugs that help heart problems and arthritis are made using tropical forest plants. Food like bananas, coffee, jalapeno, peanuts and sugar cane also grow in tropical forests. So, it only makes sense that we keep the forests healthy and alive.

Many groups around the world are asking governments and companies to stop destroying the forests. These groups are also educating consumers who are starting to ask questions about how products from tropical forests are harvested, and buying only products that were made with the least possible damage to the forests. This is called sustainable harvesting and it means replacing what you take from the forest, such as planting a tree for every tree you cut down, so that the forest can live on.

The problem is, not everyone is practicing sustainable harvesting. In fact, while you were listening to all of this information, about 60 hectares of tropical forest were destroyed.

We’re the last generation that can save our forests from disappearing forever. Let’s keep planting trees and remember that the forest is most valuable to us while it is still alive.

Appendix Here are some names and addresses of groups you can contact to see how you can help:

• Rainforest Action Network, 450 Sansome, Suite 700, San Francisco, CA 94111 USA. Tel. (415) 398-4404.
• Greenpeace Brazil, Rua dos Pinheiros 240/32, Sao Paulo _ SP, Brazil. Tel. 55 11 282 5500.
• World Wildlife Fund Peru, Richard Bustamante, Programme Coordinator, Comandante Espinar 350?401, Miraflores, Lima 11, Peru. Tel. 51 14456 190.
• World Wildlife Fund Madagascar, Dr. Sheila O’Connor, Representation WWF, B.P. 738, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar. Tel. 261 2 34885/34638.
• World Wildlife Fund Costa Rica, Miguel R. Cifuentes, Regional Coordinator, Central America, 7170 Catie, Turrialba, Costa Rica. Tel. 506 556 1383/1712/6188/6431.
• Shabat Alam Malaysia (SAM), S.M. Hohd Idris, 19, Jalan Kelawei, 10250 Pulau Pinang, Malaysia. Tel. (604) 376930.