Do You Know the Effects of Deforestation and How to Help?

Deforestation. You’ve probably heard about it and know it’s going on but how does it really affect us? In honor of it being Arbor Day today, and Earth Day on Wednesday, we’d like to take a break from what we’d normally write about on our blog and discuss the role deforestation plays on our beautiful tiny blue dot.

You may have seen the viral video going around now, released on YouTube April 20^th by Prince Ea, covering the reality of animals going extinct, climate change, and the destruction of trees – the video is below if you haven’t seen it – it may be worth your time to watch it. Following the video we’d like to briefly expand on the effects of deforestation and possible ways we can help.

The importance of trees

Forests cover 31% of the land area on the Earth, supply the oxygen you breathe, and provide the resources needed to build your home. You could say the trees and forests are fairly important to the survival of our species.

Deforestation: The modern plague

Forests everywhere are under threat as deforestation occurs at massive rates, and for what? Profit and livelihood are the two biggest motivators behind the destruction of trees.

One of the problems associated with clearing large amounts of trees is the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Trees play a critical role in absorbing greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide. When the forests are destroyed, carbon dioxide and the other gases the trees were storing are immediately released into the atmosphere. Although these gases do arise from other factors such as fossil fuel emissions, deforestation is a huge issue causing 15% of the total global greenhouse gas emissions.

Unfortunately, effects of deforestation go far beyond just greenhouse gas emissions. Other problems include the destruction of homes for endangered species, disrupted water cycles, increased soil erosion, and reduced biodiversity. The bottom line is the destruction of trees, at least at the rate in which it’s currently happening, is detrimental – if not for us, for our kids.

You may think the simple and obvious solution to counteract deforestation would be to plant more trees. A massive replanting would help to ease the problems deforestation has caused, but it wouldn’t solve them all. For instance, we’ve already reduced the population of many species so much that they might not recover even with a substantial replanting effort.

How you can help

April may be Earth month and today may be Arbor Day, but every day you can make a difference in helping the forests and the Earth. Some organizations such as Global Forest Watch are attempting to counteract deforestation by raising awareness on the issue, which may be the single most important thing you can do at this time.

Another thing you can do is assess your carbon footprint. Consider buying recycled or certified wood products and supporting brands with zero deforestation policies. Encourage those around you to do the same.

Celebrate Arbor Day today by planting a tree in your yard or community if you can, if not, help spread the word to educate others on this dilemma. Make every day Earth Day!

What are you doing to raise awareness about deforestation?