Tropical Rainforests

The Amazon rainforest is responsible for many aspects of our world and is a key factor in keeping the fragile stability of the Earth we know in place. The rainforest possesses a vast diversity of species and is home to forests that filter the carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. These trees also take part in cooling as they channel heat into higher parts of the atmosphere. By destroying these trees for economic profit, people are destroying the habitats of the species that reside in the Amazon rainforest driving them to extinction. It has such a devastating impact on climate change and the exponential increase in deforestation is leading to irreversible effects. When we prioritize short-term profit over long-term stability we forfeit the safety of the next generation and become responsible for the degradation of our planet. An example of deforestation that has been rampant in the Amazon rainforest as protests against environmentally friendly laws are fires. Fires do not occur naturally in the rainforest and by setting these fires the rainforest is continuously weakened. According to Greenpeace, 17 percent of the Amazon rainforest has been deforested and 75 percent of this land is being used as pastures. When we repeatedly diminish the rainforest through deforestation and disrupt its balance we are ruining the ecosystem. We need the Amazon rainforest to filter out carbon, and maintain cooling, as well as other vital necessities for our planet to function as it has been. We are reaching the tipping point more and more every day and we need to be vocal about what we can do to improve conditions and prevent the rate of deforestation from increasing. When we reach 20-25 percent of the deforested area the outcome could be the destruction of this tropical rainforest.