Caleb Jones

Trees. We need them they need us. We have a good deal with them, we breathe oxygen creating carbon dioxide and they breathe in the carbon and create oxygen. Not only that, we use them for a enormous range of things. Whether that's for building houses or building toys, making furniture or supporting houses, protecting property or pretending to have a sword. I'm sure we have all done that last one at least once, I liked the ones that looked the most like guns. But, with the lumber industry is hacking away at our trees, I don't know how many new generations will be able to share the joy I did when I found a stick that I thought looked cool. We all know what endangered species are, but did you know that trees are one of them? As a collective?

We all know that there is some deforestation, BUT did you know that we cut down the equivalent of the size of a small country. In trees every year making this a devastating catastrophe? ‘The Guardian's Jim Laurence, warns we will have a, ‘hotter drier, world without our forests.’ which will be devastating for both global warming and the animals that live in these forests in Australia we, the lucky country, eradicate 416, 840 hectares of forestry per year massacring innocent kangaroos, koalas and wombats. In 2021 I personally saw the terrible effects bushfires in Carrum Downs and how the entire area was basically just all gone. Since 1960 Earth has torn down 50% of their forests according to earth.org. Think about that, it is already too late for half our forests. Those selfish, stupid scumbags in the Logging industry don’t care about us, unfortunately there are some people trying to fix that problem now.

As we all know, deforestation is a problem. We all want trees to live, especially since them living means that we get to continue living and the more living we do, the more we can do to help the trees. Lets start with our consumption of our trees. According to 'Greenpeace.org' By consuming less, avoiding single-use packaging, eating sustainable food, and choosing recycled or responsibly-produced wood products, we can all be part of the movement to protect forests. 'The Guardian' says that since 2015 the Australian government has committed more than $1.5 billion dollars of tax payer's money towards climate change projects that plant or protect our natural wildlife. Over a slightly longer time period, they have spent almost $62 million on a policy to plant 20 million trees across Australia, promised by Tony Abott. Not only that, our government, have also agreed to a global pact that involves our land owners, agriculture groups & farming groups are eager to find out about what they can do to help  and how they can start to help with this issue. At the end of the decade, that's not far away. the past few years have been feeling like a blur. There for one second and gone the next, imagine what we can do even if it's as simple as just planting a tree in your backyard. Think about the impact that can have at the end of the decade.

There is simply no way we can fight our climate change crisis if we don't start with our deforestation. If forests are cleared, or even disturbed, they release carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, these gases contribute to 10% of our climate change crisis, but it's not all bad news. Because of this, we have organisations, companies, influencers, all trying to help the cause. Now it may seem daunting, but it's not there's very simple answers to the question, 'What can we do to help?' Plant more trees, plain and simple. The more trees we have the less tree population go down. Going paperless, don't use paper cups or straws, use cardboard cups & straws, they have the same function and even work better. And let people know, educate them, be that 'little birdie' on someone's windowsill telling them the dangers & what we can do to stop it. Even if it's your best friend, a teacher, a school, anything to get the word out. Knowledge is power, and the more people that know the more powerful we will be and the easier it will be to end this crisis.

Ending this crisis won’t just stop the damage we have already caused. In fact, once we have stopped deforestation it can even help us from uncontrollable disasters. Having forests can decrewase the speed of waters & cause us to have a decreased vulnerability to flooding. Our forests take up massive amounts of land, causing them to take up room for rivers growing next to them, in them and connecting to them to grow. These can slow down the speeds of the rivers which can stop a flood from reaching a town and reducing the impact. Use your imagination just quickly, your town is being flooded, would you rather it be able to destroy houses, stores, or big buildings. Or, would you rather have it impact us that it may only destroy a few homes. A few houses rather than the entire town. Think about how people around would help those families until they’re back on their feet. We as humans, care so this is why we must care about deforestation and our trees.

As I stated before, Trees. We need them and they need us. Why must we take their lives as nothing but assets and use them to our own personal gain, give something back to them, and not just your carbon.