The destruction caused by deforestation in Brazil is very shocking. Here is an eye-opener for the causes and consequences related to this issue.
The pictures of the 18th and 19th century forests are very different as compared to the current ones. In those times, the jungles were much more lush and greener than those of today. Global warming didn’t even exist, and consumption of fossil fuels was on a lesser level.
Technology has surely made our life easier and faster, but it has also made Earth, a dangerous place to live in. The lack of forests and greenery has depleted the ozone layer, and has also affected the entire ecological balance.
Few decades ago, Brazil had the highest deforestation rate in the world. Over 700,000 square kilometers of forest have been destroyed since the 70s. In 2012, the Amazon was approximately 5.4 million square kilometres, which is only 87% of the Amazon’s original state.
Despite reductions in the deforestation rate over the last ten years, the Amazon rainforest is assumed to be reduced by 40% by 2030. According to facts, between May 2000 and August 2006, deforestation reached up to a limit of 150,000 square kilometers; this area is larger than that of Greece.
Consequences
- The rate at which deforestation is progressing is causing a lot of global damage.
- A high level of biodiversity exists in Brazil. Biodiversity is defined as the wealth of the Earth, where millions of plants, animals, and other species survive and grow. They also help in maintaining an ecological balance on Earth.
- Deforestation causes disruption of this balance and global warming. It is also the main cause of endangered species. Environmental scientists have always related global warming to deforestation.
- Many plants and trees get destroyed, which might have been used to make medicines. These could have been used to cure cancer and other life-threatening diseases.
- Since the advent of man, he has exploited all the forests drastically, for home, food, and space. Now trees are being cut down for other monetary gains, and if this doesn’t stop, forests are going to vanish someday.
- One of the most enthralling facts about deforestation is that local cattle is responsible for wiping off 80% of the forests. Farmers leave their cattle in the open, and they rampantly feed on leaves, causing heavy damage.
- Not only animals, but farmers, wildlife activists, and hunters are also causing destruction. People go to Amazon forests for natural materials available in abundance. Humans collect rubber, thereby destroying plants and trees, which had flourished in nearby regions. People go here for gold, and this has caused evacuation of large forest areas.
Solutions
These tips can contribute to afforestation:
- One possible solution is recycling. If this is done on regularly, there will be less usage of disposable products like paper plates and towels. The planet will always benefit a lot by the various methods of recycling.
- If there is less demand of plant-based products, then there would be less cutting of trees.
- Another possible solution includes planting of more and more trees. The rainforests which have been destroyed can also be replaced by this method. Brazil is implementing various programs to make sure that afforestation is encouraged and spread everywhere.
Deforestation in this country can be reduced, if people show some care and concern for the planet. The government is trying their level best to make sure that cutting down of trees is stopped and reduced to a larger extent.
