Deforestation

Humans have been cutting down trees ever since we started using fire and it hasn't stopped since. Just about 80% of our original forests are now gone. The need for wood and space keeps growing, so here are three main effects of deforestation:

The earth is getting hotter and trees provide a lot of shade. If the trees are cut down, there is less shade to cool down the earth and therefore the earth gets slightly hotter for every tree that is torn down.

The second main effect of deforestation is that many forest animals are losing their homes. By cutting down trees to make way for cities and houses or to collect wood, animals who rely on trees for food or shelter need to relocate, find new food resources and sometimes they would even die off.

The third big effect of deforestation is how the carbon levels increase. Through the process of photosynthesis trees absorb carbon, sunlight and water from the air. Only then can trees produce oxygen. Carbon is a greenhouse gas that along with many other greenhouse gasses, is key in causing global warming. By absorbing carbon, the trees are also helping in many ways to slow down climate change.

These are some of the biggest reasons why deforestation should be stopped. Of course there are some good sides of cutting down trees. For example, people could earn money or make space for newer buildings. But if we want to save our planet, we should find a way to stop deforestation.

It's not enough to only say that deforestation is bad. That probably won't change people's behaviors. At the end of the day, economics cause deforestation - people create farmland to use and sell timber for profits. Economic models based on responsible forestry management, led by governments around the world and a mindset of social responsibility will help.

Responsible forestry management is when the economics of forests is balanced against the sustainability of forests so forests can be with us for many years to come.

Social responsibility means that all humans live on Earth together, and everyone needs to help society maintain a balance between economic growth, the welfare of our society and the environment.

Last but not least, planting trees should be on all of our to-do lists. If people are cutting down trees, we can plant more trees. That will provide more oxygen, shade, water management and temperate weather. What's not to like?