The rainforests used to cover an estimated 14 per cent of the world’s surface, and today, due to deforestation, that number has been brought down to a mere six per cent. Another fact is that the rainforests on earth contain about 20 per cent of the world’s entire oxygen, and according to experts the last remaining rainforests could be wiped out in less than 40 years. That means that by the year 2050, 20 per cent of the world’s oxygen could already be gone.
It’s also not just oxygen that’s lost during the destruction of the rainforests. Many types of plants that treat illnesses are destroyed in the rainforest every day. Experts say we are losing 137 plant species on a daily basis, and the more species that disappear, the less chance we have at finding cures to life threatening diseases such as cancer. The U.S. cancer national institute has identified 3,000 plants that are active against cancer cells, and 2,100 of these plants come from the rainforest. Even 121 prescription drugs that are sold worldwide come from plant-derived resources, and many of these plants are in danger of being wiped out due to deforestation.
Another effect of destroying the rainforests is ruining the habitat of wildlife. Animals such as gorillas, birds, fish, frogs and other creatures that live in the rainforest are losing their homes due to the destruction of trees, ponds and nests. Along with their homes, these animals also lose their source of food and drinking water, then have to deal with adapting to a new environment they can migrate too. Deforestation is our fault. It’s bad enough that we are hurting ourselves with destroying our rainforests, but why should these animals have to suffer for our mistakes if we’re the ones who are moving in on their territory?
Not to mention it’s not just animals that live in the rainforest, people do as well, such as medicine men and shamans. These people are at least 70 years of age and have lived in the rainforest for most of their lives, attaining knowledge of the different kinds of plants that grow there. The rainforests are their home too and when a medicine man or shaman dies without passing his arts down to the next generation it’s as if a library has burned down with thousands of years of tribal knowledge about medical plants lost forever.
As we know it the rainforests contribute more to earth than we know, and even more to the living things that inhabit the earth. We live on this beautiful planet gifted with its amazing resources, yet all we do is abuse it everyday. What we as people need to do is look at the bigger picture and find out what we can do to help improve the environment. Deforestation of the rainforests is only one of the many issues that creates problems for our planet, however each of us has what it takes to make a difference and see to it that the smallest action can make a huge impact.
