Deforestation is not all that serious is it? After all, it only affects small pockets of the world and doesn't receive the same coverage as global warming or climate change.
It is this type of mentality that is dangerous to everyone. Deforestation certainly is serious and demands everyone's attention, not just a few people who show concern about the matter. It may be true that deforestation does not occur in every single area of the world that has trees, but that is partially due to the fact that so much of the planet is carpeted with forests. Unfortunately, too much of humanity has taken the abundance of trees for granted and has turned a blind eye to the frightening pace at which they are being removed. It is easy to forget that tropical rainforests alone are losing over 80,000 acres per day because there remains so much untouched acreage worldwide.
Part of the reason we don't hear as much about deforestation as other ecological issues is because it hasn't yet reached critical mass. The negative effects of deforestation are not yet irreversible, but we need to address them before we reach the point of no return. It is possible to leave the forests that have not yet felt the hand of deforestation unspoiled and revive those that have simply by changing our habits and making a call for action.
One obvious cause of deforestation is the sheer amount of paper products humans consume. Paper comes from trees, and the more paper products we use, the more trees are lost. The solution here is not as easy as simply banning the lumber industry from cutting down trees in certain areas. In fact, this solution is not easy at all, because it would be counterproductive. There is a significant population that lives near forest land that is poor, especially farmers, who depend on some trees being removed in order to slightly increase farmland that they may till and harvest in order to carve out a meager living. Those of us who do not depend on the land in order to survive may not be aware of this issue and that is why we must take advantage of our position and make some sacrifices.
And if you think about it, using fewer paper products such as printer paper, paper towels, facial tissues, and paper plates doesn't take all that much effort. The internet has already reduced the need for so much paper required to print magazines, books, and letters by digitizing so many of the media we use to communicate. Best of all, printer paper does not need to be used at record paces because of wonderful technology like flash drives and hard drives. If you need to retain of copy of a receipt or a piece of correspondence, save it to the hard drive of your computer and back it up on an external drive such as a flash. This way you won't have to print out a copy that you would place somewhere and lose anyway.
When it comes to reducing the amount of trees felled in the name of paper, recycling is one of the most effective solutions. Instead of absent-mindedly tossing paper in the trash can, put it in a recycling receptacle. Not only does this keep the landfills clear of items that hinder their ability to store items that don't easily biodegrade, the paper can be recycled into new paper products. It doesn't take a large stretch of the imagination to realize a much slower rate of deforestation if everyone placed paper plates, cups, and unimportant letters in the recycle bin. If we use one cup, plate, and piece of paper for every one we recycle, the ratio is 1:1, putting much less strain on the world's forests.
Several cities worldwide also provide recycling incentives in the form of tax credits or rebates for those who enroll in a recycling program. Through these programs, it is apparent that governments are beginning to understand the importance of reducing deforestation (as well as pollution). Many governments are also jumping on board the renewable energy initiative and setting aside funds to encourage research and development of alternative energy programs. Now would be a good time to appeal to the conservation sensibilities that several countries' governments currently maintain and acquire funding to combat deforestation. If large timber corporations are unwilling to change their harvesting methods, it may help to develop other techniques and educate them on these procedures. If this is unsuccessful, it is possible to direct the funds toward reforestation programs and education to those who may need guidance on how they may help. Timber plantations are also an opportunity for governments to show their citizens that they are serious about curbing deforestation. Once these plantations mature and it can be shown how much product they can yield, maybe we can be convinced to leave the trees that have been given to us naturally alone.
If each of us makes an effort, even one as easy as recycling, deforestation will take much less of a toll on our lives. When everyone pitches in, the end of deforestation is possible.
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