Kete 2017 | Think Globally, Act Locally

Deforestation

Kaitiakitanga

Forests are an important part in our environment. They are home to millions of different species, produce oxygen, store carbon dioxide, and help control the climate. They also provide food, shelter, medicine, and other things we use them for. They purify the air that we breathe, and water that drink.

What is Deforestation?

Deforestation is when humans remove or clear a large area of trees and related eco ecosystems for non- forest use or urban use.  In these cases, trees are never replanted. The trees that are cut down are used for building other things, fuel, palm oil, and to make space on land to build other buildings/houses. Deforestation causes massive problems to our environment, and we need to raise awareness about it.  

It is estimated that if we don’t do anything about Deforestation now,  within 100 years, there will be no more rainforests.

One and a half acres of forest is cut down every second.

What are the issues that are caused due to Deforestation?

There are many negative impacts that deforestation brings to our environment. Problems such as impact on climate change, habitat loss, greenhouse gases, changes in water cycle, and others. Deforestation is causing all these problems to our environment, and damaging our home.

Climate Change - Trees play a huge part in our environment, absorbing greenhouse gases, and purifying oxygen. The greenhouse gases that are in our atmosphere play a huge part in climate change. A problem we are dealing with to protect our environment is the level of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. Trees help breathe in the the greenhouse effect gases, balance out the level of the gases, and breathe out oxygen for us to breathe in. When humans cut trees down, they release the gases that are stored in the trees, which results in climate change.

Habitat Loss - The trees that we humans cut, aren’t only trees, but are homes to millions of different species. 70% of Earth’s land animals and plants live in forests. When we cut down their homes, it is difficult for them to survive, and they could potentially become extinct. Not only do we lose the species we know about, but we may also lose species we have not discovered yet.

What has been done to fix the problem so far?

In New Zealand,  the government has proposed to plant 100 million trees per year around NZ to help with the environment. New Zealand is also aiming to be a carbon neutral economy, along with other countries around the world. Companies have also stopped using palm oil from trees in their products.

People are also raising awareness about deforestation through social media, videos, and articles.

What simple things can we do to help fix this problem?

• Plant a tree in your backyard
• Use less paper
• Use cloths instead of napkins and paper towels
• Recycle as much as possible!
• Eat less meat
• Don’t buy products that contain palm oil
• Tell other people about deforestation!

“Nature doesn’t need people. People need nature.” - Conservation International