Why is the Amazon Rainforest suffering from deforestation? Why should we care? What does a rainforest in Brazil have to do with us? So what if trees are being cut down? The truth is; the Amazon should be important to us. Imagine an entire football stadium filled with trees as tall as three story buildings disappearing in the blink of an eye. Everyday the once beautiful forests of the Amazon are being replaced with miles of tree stumps the size of cars. As many as 200 plant and animal species are becoming extinct every minute this is allowed to happen.

            The Amazon Rainforest covers the countries of Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Suriname, French Guiana, and Guiana. Home to various indigenous tribes, animals and plants, the Amazon harbors many secrets that remain undiscovered by humans. It is filled with wonders from food to cosmetics, and medicinal scientists believe that a cure for cancer may be available somewhere within the rainforest plant life. Today it is threatened and quickly disappearing.

           In a drought for the past three years, the Amazon has been ravaged by loggers, commercial agriculture, cattle ranchers and local farmers that have been relocated by the Brazilian government. The first two years of the drought had little effect on the forest. For the trees to absorb moisture, they lengthened their roots to reach deeper into the soil. But by the third year, the younger trees could not survive. They have shriveled up and died, releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Some of the older trees could not reach enough moisture as well and simply toppled to the ground, crushing other saplings as well.

            As the drought continues to weaken the trees, studies have shown that the carbon dioxide levels are on the rise. A 30 year study published by the journal Science has stated that the Amazon is vulnerable against drought. The loss of vegetation in the region will have greater effects in increasing CO2 levels than previously predicted. Since the forest canopy is the most affected area by the drought, the ability to take in carbon dioxide has been significantly decreased, thereby adding to the effects of Global warming instead of reducing as nature intended. Researchers on the topic have said the impact of the drought was five billion ton of carbon dioxide added to the atmosphere. That’s about as much smog emission as Japan and Europe produce in a year. Climatologists fear that this drought could force the Amazon to adapt to a newer cycle of life, with a hotter climate and longer dry seasons, leading to the release of more carbon dioxide and even more drought.

 

            The shampoo you used to clean your hair today was probably put together with plants from the Amazon. As well as the conditioner and other hygiene products you use daily. Farmers that have been relocated by the Brazilian Government to the rainforest have introduced new chemicals in the soil, intoxicating native plants and animals. Soon, the exotic and medicinal plants found only in the Amazon will disappear completely.

            Loggers have cut down enough of the forest to cover the United Kingdom 25 times. In the year of 2007, both cattle ranchers and tree loggers were found to be major problems for the conservation of the Amazon. From 1988 to 1991, cattle ranchers and soybean farmers were not a major concern for the Amazon. But by the year 1993, there was an increase sparked by economic demands, resulting in the growth of cattle ranching. This in turn has made governments clear more of the forest for investments in the business. In the 1970’s, the Brazilian government wanted to give 39% of the rainforest land to ranching. Now, according to the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFR), the land belonging to ranchers could increase from 40% to 70%, bringing up the deforestation rate by an alarming 80%.

            The Brazilian community has stated that about 16 species of exotic plants and animals are lost to deforestation every day. The Brazilian Government has done little to prevent this from happening. In fact, the government plans to take away land rights from peasants and relocate farmers into the Amazon rainforest. Dams are also being built within the rivers, disrupting the migration of fish through out the Amazon River.

 

           The rainforest poses a greater threat to humanity than you might think. If the destruction continues as it has been for the past twenty years, we are looking at increased temperatures throughout the world, the melting of the polar ice caps, the extinction of polar bears, and the complete obliteration of the Amazon rainforest.

          Our future generations may never get to experience a beautiful Scarlet Macaw or Three Toed Sloth. The many undiscovered species of life living in the Amazon could be lost to the blades and saws of the loggers and farmers. Without the help of numerous organizations that constantly fight for the preservation of the Amazon, this vast landscape could become a wasteland in a matter of years.