by sponng

Article by Markis Gardner

Can Chocolate lovers and Coffee Drinkers stop Deforestation?I hear arguments about Chocolate lovers and Coffee Drinkers needing to stop deforestation because it is the forests, more specifically the rainforests that produce the chocolate we eat and the Coffee that people drink. My question is, it seems that the Chocolate making companies and the Coffee Companies would have more to lose. Why don’t they buy up big plantations and help save the rainforests? If the rainforests are gone, yes we lose our Chocolate and coffee and possible cancer fighting drugs but they will lose the entire company. So, it seems we all need to do something. I just think that the companies have bigger pockets and more weight to throw around than us little guys. Agree?Causes of DeforestationDeforestation is a problem that could lead to disastrous consequences for mankind as a whole. Rapid urbanization is one of the primary causes of deforestation.

As cities and towns expand, forests in their surrounding vicinity are being mercilessly cut down in order to make way for suburban townships. The forest cover in many areas is also decreasing since the land is being occupied for farming purposes in many countries. Increased global consumption is another one of the major reasons behind the decreasing forest cover. From paper to wooden furniture, one can imagine an entire host of products that owe their creation to trees and plants.The Rapid Depletion of the World’s Mangrove ForestsMangroves can be described as ‘rainforests by the sea’. Large stretches of the sub-tropical and tropical coastlines of Asia, Africa, Oceania, the Americas and the Caribbean are fringed by mangroves, once estimated to cover an area of over 32 million hectares. Now, less than 15 million hectares remain -less than half the original area.

The depletion of the world’s mangroves is due to excessive shrimp farms, tourist complexes and intense land development. According to the latest study by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the current rate of mangrove loss is around 1% per annum-or around 150,000 ha of new mangrove area loss per year. Now, the Mangrove Action Project (MAP) is working with other organizations in the global South towards restoring degraded and cleared mangrove areas as a high priority.

MAP is especially interested in restoring some of the 250,000 ha of abandoned shrimp farms located in former coastal wetland areas, especially in Asia and Latin America. But, even more importantly, MAP is working to help conserve and protect existing mangrove wetlands around the world.

Help us to fight against deforestation
Video Rating: 4 / 5

Deforestation makes rainforests drier
Deforestation in West Africa can reduce rainfall over the rest of the forest by around half, according to research at the University of Leeds. Rainforest in Benin as seen from the NERC BAe 146 research aircraft. The circulation of warm and cool air at …
Read more on Planet Earth

Girl Scouts Move to Limit Palm Oil in Cookies
Madison Vorva and Rhiannon Tomtishen, Girl Scouts from Michigan, had learned that palm oil production leads to deforestation and the disappearance of orangutan habitat and embarked on a five-year effort to make Girl Scout cookies more environmentally …
Read more on Wall Street Journal

Please Note... All links within articles are placed by their author-owners and not by this blog.Products with in those links may or may not be the best in the world.If it sounds too good to be true it could be a scam.Articles are posted for their info,ideas and or entertainment value only.

Powered By WP Footer

Lush green rainforests may be something you’ve pictured only briefly when dreaming about a tropical vacation but did you know that the health of the world’s rainforests has a huge influence on the quality of your daily life?

The rainforest is often described as the “Lungs of our Planet”. The Amazon rainforest alone is responsible for producing more than 20 percent of the oxygen we breath! As an added bonus, by taking in carbon dioxide and giving off oxygen for us to breath, the rainforest actually reduces green house gases and fights global warming.

But sadly, we are losing the earth’s rainforests to feed the world’s ravenous appetite for cheap lumber and agriculture. Check out these statistics. You’re not going to believe them but they’re true!

54 of the world’s 193 countries have already lost 90 percent or more of their forest cover. Rainforests that once covered 14% of the earth’s land surface now cover a mere 6% and experts estimate that the last remaining rainforests could be gone in less than 40 years.
1.5 acres of rainforest are lost every second (that equates to 50 million acres a year: an area roughly the size of Oregon)
Nearly half of the world’s species of plants and animals will be destroyed or severely threatened over the next 25 years due to rainforest deforestation.
We are losing approximately 137 plant and animal species every single day due to rainforest deforestation. That equates to 50,000 species a year!
As the rainforest species disappear, so do many possible cures for life-threatening diseases. Currently, 121 prescription drugs sold worldwide come from plant-derived sources. Twenty-five percent of Western pharmaceuticals are derived from rainforest ingredients! Many more could be developed as only about 1% of tropical trees and plants have been tested by scientists.
Most rainforests are cleared by chainsaws, bulldozers and fires for timber and then are followed by farming and ranching operations. In Indonesia, the current rate of logging could totally wipe out native forests within only 10 years. The forest has already been totally wiped out in countries like Haiti and Ivory Coast where barely a tree can be found anymore.

Even worse is the fact that rainforests do not regenerate as our temperate forests in Vermont do. Once gone, they are gone forever and along with them the wonderful diversity of plants and wildlife that inhabit them.

So now that you know why rainforests are a big deal, you’re probably asking yourself, “What on earth can I do about it?” Well, this is where green consumerism comes in. Everyday when you’re shopping you make choices that effect the health of the rainforest. It’s true. Do you buy products made of soy, beef or wood for example? If so, chances are very good that they are originating in the rainforest and are being produced illegally in violation of local conservation laws.

You can do you part for the environment by purchasing products that are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) as being green and originating from sustainably managed forests. Ask the salespeople in your favorite stores if their products are certified? Ask where they came from. You may get a few blank stares at first, but eventually you’ll be making a difference. Store owners are going to realize more and more that sustainability is important to their customers. If they are to stay in business, they are going to have to Go Green.

And YOU can make it happen.

About the Author:
Peggy Farabaugh owns and operates Vermont Woods Studios, an online furniture store specializing in high-quality, eco-friendly, handmade wood furniture from Vermont. Her education includes a BS degree in Chemistry, an MPH in environmental safety and health management and an MS degree in training and communications. Her background is in environmental health and safety education and training.

Please Note... All links within articles are placed by their author-owners and not by this blog.Products with in those links may or may not be the best in the world.If it sounds too good to be true it could be a scam.Articles are posted for their info,ideas and or entertainment value only.

Powered By WP Footer