Deforestation

Plant-life is a vital resource that the Earth has to stop global warming. All green plants and trees photosynthesise. They use radiant energy from the sun, water from the soil and Carbon Dioxide from the atmosphere to produce food for themselves which they store as starch.

Unfortunately, deforestation is occurring at a rapid rate across the world’s tropical rainforests. Trees are chopped down for timber used in furniture, or used to clear land so that farming can take place or homes can be built. Soil in rainforests is not fertile as the constant rain washes the nutrients out the soil. Due to this, farmers can only use a plot of cleared rainforest land for a year or two before being having to clear another area to farm again.

Forest soils are moist, but without protection from sun-blocking tree cover they quickly dry out. Trees also help perpetuate the water cycle by returning water vapor back into the atmosphere. Without trees to fill these roles, many former forest lands can quickly become barren deserts.

As deforestation continues, there are less and less trees and plant-life to absorb Carbon Dioxide from the air. Deforestation has to be stopped if any inroads into global warming are to be made. The best solution is to allow businesses and individuals to use rainforests for their needs - if they grow back what they use with hefty fines and criminal prescution if they do not.

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References

1. National Geographic Society (2008) Deforestation Facts, Deforestation Information, Effects of Deforestation [Online]
Available at: http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/deforestation-overview.html
[Accessed 18 December 2008]

Background Image:

Paul Nicklen, 2008, Arctic Circle Ice Melting [electronic image]
Available at:
http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/staticfiles/NGS/Shared/StaticFiles/Environment/Images/Global_Warming/arctic-circle-ice-1083129-xl.jpg
Accessed 27 February 2009