Protecting and Conserving

  Here is why we have to save the rain forest. In the last 30 years 40% of earth’s rain forests have been destroyed. Over 78 % of the earth’s original rain forest have already been destroyed. To help this you can recycle and use all sides of your paper. You can also reduce oil and gas consumption so it doesn’t cause global warming. You can also reduce your fast food consumption. Also 61.8% of the worlds recorded animals live in the rain forest.  

There are many things that can be done to protect the rainforests.  The first is a simple thing that we, as consumers, can do at home.  The choices we make in the products we buy will protect and conserve the rainforests.  For example, buy only wood products that are grown locally and farmed with earthy friendly techniques, such as replanting.  Oak, pine and cherry wood are some examples of wood that is abundant and has been grown in this country for years.  These woods can make beautiful furniture as well.  We do not need to use mahogany, rosewood, teak or other wood from the rainforest.  Another consumer choice is beef.  We could ask restaurants where they get their beef.  We might be surprised how many purchase beef from ranches that are in the rainforest.  If we don’t go to those restaurants, or stop buying from grocery stores that sell this beef we are doing our part to protect and conserve the rainforest.  Conservation is also important in protecting the rainforest.  This would mean reducing, reusing and recycling so that we cut down on the need for products and fuels.  Here are just a few more ideas of how we can protect the rainforest:

• Have fundraisers to purchase rainforest land specifically for its protection.  School kids around the United States have been doing this for some years.
• Launch an education campaign worldwide in every classroom in the world about the destruction of the rainforest and how we need to save it.  When kids are told how important something is, they are more likely to listen than adults.
• Boycott Mitsubishi, who is the biggest user of timber from the rainforest.
• Have a political rally on the White House lawn to raise the consciousness of others.  
• Recycling is the easiest thing you can do. If you have bottles or cans, try to bring them to your local recycling center. Make sure your school recycles its paper waste - if not, ask your teacher if you can get one to help save the rainforests. Make it a class project! The more we recycle the less demand there is for trees to be cut. 
• Don't buy products made from ivory, coral, reptile skins, tortoise shells, or cat pelts - help protect the endangered species of the rainforest.
• Do buy nuts, cookies and cereals made from rainforest products. It gives farmers there a reason to KEEP the trees & plants and not cut them down for other crops.
• Use less paper. If you have room on a sheet of paper to write more on it, use that sheet instead of getting another one. Write on both sides of the paper.  If you only need to write a little bit, don't use a big sheet of paper. Use a sheet of smaller paper, or if you have large scrap paper, rip off a piece.  Makes notepads out of the backs of flyers and other papers that come home.
•  Support organizations like Rainforest Action Network.
• Try to buy things that are made out of recycled items. If there is an item with an unreasonable amount of wrapping, don't buy it.
•  Read and watch the news... sometimes boycotts are organized to avoid using a product because it hurts the rainforests... support those boycotts and make a difference.
• Write letters to your elected officials - senators, congressman (in the USA) maybe vote on bills that affect the rainforests. Ask your elected officials what their stand is on the rainforests.  
• Launch your own campaign or network to save the rain forest.

    Though the after effects of massive logging and deforestation may not be seen in our lifetime, it is important that we protect the rainforest for generations to come.  One of the biggest reasons to consider is the destruction to our atmosphere (the air we breathe) and global warming caused by the deforestation in the rainforest. All the tropical rainforests together produce 50% of the world’s oxygen.  As the rainforests are destroyed, the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere increases.  Also, the amount of carbon monoxide increases.  If the amount of carbon released into the atmosphere continues to rise, future generations will be living and breathing air of dense smog instead of blue skies.  The increase in carbons also causes the temperatures to rise.  The warming trends have already been seen in recent decades.  In the 1980s, we experienced the five warmest years of the last century.  This can only get worse.  The warming trend can affect the earth’s water.  It will cause the expansion of large bodies of water: the worlds’ oceans.  This will destroy lowland and coastal areas.  In the last century the earth has experienced a one-foot rise in sea level.  These are just some of the global reasons to save the rainforest.  They are certainly important, but there are many lesser reasons that have already been mentioned such as the loss of plants for medicinal and scientific purposes and the loss of a huge variety of food.