Saturday, November 3, 2012

Deforestation: Problems and Solutions

Photo courtesy of National Geographic.
Deforestation. Merriam-Webster defines it as both "the action or process of clearing of forests" and "the state of having been cleared of forests. Forests are important; and, unfortunately, deforestation is a problem of the here and now. National Geographic has a lot of scary things to say about deforestation. First, how much forest do we have globally? It's common knowledge that about 30% of the Earth is land. An article by National Geographic says that 30% of that 30% is covered in forests. That means a mere 9% of the Earth is covered in forests. The article goes on to say that "swaths the size of Panama are lost each and every year" and that "the world's rain forests could completely vanish in a hundred years at the current rate of deforestation." Just how big is Panama? According to Britannica: Academic Edition, the area of Panama is 28,640 square miles or 74,177 square kilometers. That's a lot of forest being destroyed in a year.

Problems

Diversity

Many plants and animals are dependent on forests. According to National Geographic, "70% of Earth's land animals and plants live in forests, and many cannot survive the deforestation that destroys their homes." This means that, without forests, many plant and animal species will go extinct. 

Climate Change

National Geographic lists ways forests are important to the environment: they keep soil moist by blocking sunlight, "perpetuate the water cycle by returning water vapor back into the atmosphere," maintain stable temperatures by "block[ing] the sun's rays during the day and hold[ing] in heat at night," and by "absorbing the greenhouse gases that fuel global warming."

Solutions

The most obvious solution is, as National Geographic puts it "to simply stop cutting down trees." What about our need for trees? Just not cutting down trees is not a viable solution. Instead, those cutting down trees need to be more responsible. Cut down trees here and there instead of flattening a forest; and, most importantly, replace the trees cut down by planting new ones. According to National Geographic, this is "a more workable solution."

What can you do?

While National Geographic does say that " the biggest driver of deforestation is agriculture," it also acknowledges that "logging operations, which provide the world's wood and paper products, also cut countless trees each year." So, instead of throwing that piece of paper out, flip it over and write your grocery list on the back. Repair that old wardrobe instead of tossing it out and buying a new one. Maintain that deck so it lasts for years to come. Reuse paper and wood products however you can to reduce the demand for more new wood.

About

National Geographic

Founded in 1888, National Geographic "is one of the largest nonprofit scientific and educational institutions in the world. Its interested include geography, archeology and natural science, and the promotion of environmental and historical conservation."

Merriam-Webster

Merriam-Webster is "America's leading and most-trusted provider of language information." It provides free online dictionary, thesaurus, and encyclopedia access. Merriam-Webster is an Encyclopedia Britannica company.

Encyclopedia Britannica Incorporated

Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc. is a vast, global knowledge base. According to its About page, information is collected "by collaborating with experts, scholars, educators, instructional designers, and user-experience specialists; [and] by subjecting their work to rigorous editorial review."

Critique 

National Geographic, Merriam-Webster, and Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc. are all good sources for information. National Geographic's information is backed by science. Merriam-Webster is kind of dry, but it is backed by Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc. who gets information from reputable sources. Not only does Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc, get information from reputable sources; but, it also scrutinizes incoming information. They can all be trusted for good information.




4 comments:

  1. The ever expanding human population will eventually exceed the tipping point of how many the earth can support. There's already more and more competition for ever dwindling resources. Responsibly and sustainably managing these resources, such as forests, can buy us at least a little more time. Not just stopping deforestation but actively working to expand forest areas would also help mitigate the effects of climate change as trees soak up CO2 and give us back more oxygen.

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  2. You hit the nail on the head. People can't keep using and abusing Earth's resources without far reaching consequences. World wide behaviors have to change now before it is too late. It is not just the forests at stake here; it's life as we know it.

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    1. Human nature being what it is, I seriously doubt whether the majority will get serious about conservation until it's too late and serious shortages begin....which is unfortunate. :(

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    2. Sad but true. Most people won't notice and/or care until it is directly affecting them.

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