Trees Help Me Breathe
Don't you just love to breathe? More than 20 percent of our oxygen comes from the Amazon Rainforest, the largest rainforest on the planet. Half of the living species that live on this Earth live in that rainforest. The other 80 percent of our oxygen is produced by microorganisms that live in the Ocean, so my last post (Oceans Need to Breath, Too) is also important to this topic.
The rate at which we are destroying these precious rainforests is 1 acre per second. That's 31.5 million acres every year. At that rate, it's no surprise that we are killing off an average of 3-4 species each year. A huge contributing issue to this is the production of palm oil.
In Borneo and Sumatra, over 90 percent of the orangutan habitat has been destroyed in the last 20 years through deforestation for the production of palm oil. Because their homes are being destroyed, it has been estimated that 1000-5000 orangutans are being killed each year. Not only is this sad, but it's also detrimental to the future of the remaining forest. Many of the seeds in Indonesia can only germinate if consumed by an orangutan first. The seeds must pass through the digestive system of an orangutan to seed, making them a vital aspect to the survival of the forest. Orangutan are not the only ones effected; many other species are also facing the same reality.
How can you get involved?
Citations:
http://www.rainforestfoundation.org/
http://www.saynotopalmoil.com/
The rate at which we are destroying these precious rainforests is 1 acre per second. That's 31.5 million acres every year. At that rate, it's no surprise that we are killing off an average of 3-4 species each year. A huge contributing issue to this is the production of palm oil.
In Borneo and Sumatra, over 90 percent of the orangutan habitat has been destroyed in the last 20 years through deforestation for the production of palm oil. Because their homes are being destroyed, it has been estimated that 1000-5000 orangutans are being killed each year. Not only is this sad, but it's also detrimental to the future of the remaining forest. Many of the seeds in Indonesia can only germinate if consumed by an orangutan first. The seeds must pass through the digestive system of an orangutan to seed, making them a vital aspect to the survival of the forest. Orangutan are not the only ones effected; many other species are also facing the same reality.
How can you get involved?
- Well, for starters, cut palm oil out of your life. Palm oil development contributes a great deal to the deforestation issue. You can find palm oil in a wide variety of products, from baked goods to soap. It's also found in a number of cosmetics and toothpastes. So check the ingredients when you buy those muffins next time and stop buying products that have "Palm Oil" or "Palm Kernel Oil" in the ingredients. Want more information on palm oil? Check out this site.
- Don't buy furniture and other wooden products made from rainforest woods. The most common are mahogany, rosewood, and ebony. Better yet, buy recycled or used furniture and save the trees all together! Here's a link to more information on logging.
- Mining is an issue in the rainforest. Due to explosions along riverbeds in the Amazon, chemicals like mercury and cyanide are released into the river, effecting the ecosystem around them. So buy recycled gold next time you treat yo-self. There's way more issues with mining in the rainforest, and you can read up on them here.
- Use recycled paper products. Just switching over your regular brand to a recycled-product brand makes a big difference.
- Want to plant some trees? One Tree Planted is an organization that focuses on planting trees around the world. For just $1.00 you can plant a tree in Asia, North America, Africa, and Latin America.
There's more information on the rainforests here if you want to brush up on your knowledge and share it. Show your planet how much you love it!
Citations:
http://www.rainforestfoundation.org/
http://www.saynotopalmoil.com/
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