Tropical rainforests are one of the largest moderators of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere because the trees keep the balance between carbon and oxygen in check (Konyn). In 2018, the Global Forest Watch, a World Resources Institute initiative aimed at monitoring the Greenhouse Effect’s constant impact, studied the amount of carbon released after the loss of tropical forests. The results of the study were shocking:

If the amount of carbon dioxide produced by tropical deforestation was represented as a national entity, its emissions would rank just below that of the United States (Fritts). Given that only 13% of Earth’s land is covered by tropical forests, the amount of carbon being produced here is staggering (Mongabay).

Policy reform is the most practical way to protect endangered species, and the world just recently witnessed how effective an end to recreational hunting and poaching can be. During the age of COVID-19, international travel was banned in many nations, some of which were first-world countries that happened to produce the largest numbers of recreational hunters. When seasonal hunters were forced to skip their outings, endangered rhinos, a popular animal amongst the sport’s enthusiasts, made a remarkable recovery. The Republic of South Africa released statistics through their Environment, Forestry, and Fisheries Department that described the extraordinary event:

In just the first six months of 2020, COVID-19 forced rhino poaching rates to plummet by almost 53%, with only 166 animals being killed for their horns, as opposed to last year’s 316 (STROOP). It’s unlikely that we’ll see another pandemic like this one again in our lifetimes, and even more so in theirs, so unless the world begins to take more serious action like that of China’s, species like this one may not survive long enough to have a chance at rebounding ever again.