Introduction

Environmental issues effect every life on this planet from the smallest parasite to the human race.
The reason for this is simple. A single disruption in the Earth’s delicate balance can mean certain
destruction of the very place that cradles the lives of many species. What is not so simple is finding
alternatives to the now dangerous and confronting acts of planet degradation that have been
afflicted on the planet over recent years. One such issue that requires consideration is deforestation.
Trees have been or are being cut down at increasingly high rates. If this is not stopped many
unfavourable side effects could result.

Trees are one of the most important aspects of the planet we live in. Trees are vitally important to
the environment, animals, and of course for us humans. They are important for the climate of the
Earth, they act as filters of carbon dioxide, they are habitats and shelters to millions of species, and
they are also important for their aesthetic appeal. However, the trees on our planet are being
depleted at a very fast rate. According to some estimates, more than 50 percent of the tree cover
has disappeared due to human activity.

Although humans have been practicing deforestation since ages, it was in the mid-1800s that forests
began to be destroyed at an unprecedented rate. As a matter of fact, throughout the earlier part of
the medieval age, Europeans used to live amongst vast areas of forested land. But later, they began
deforestation at such a high rate that they started to run out of wood for cooking and heating. Also,
due to the depletion of their natural habitat, wild game too began disappearing, which the
Europeans largely depended upon for their nutritional requirements. Today, parallels can clearly be
observed in the deforestation that is occurring in most developing countries

What are the Causes of Deforestation?

The destruction of the forests is occurring due to various reasons, one of the main reasons being the
short term economic benefits. Given below are some more common causes of deforestation:

Used for Urban and Construction Purposes: The cutting down of trees for lumber that is used for
building materials, furniture, and paper products. Forests are also cleared in order to accommodate
expanding urban areas.

To Grow Crops: Forests are also cut down in order to clear land for growing crops.

To Create Grazing Land: Forests are cut down in order create land for grazing cattle.
Used for Fuel: Trees are cut down in developing countries to be used as firewood or turned into
charcoal, which are used for cooking and heating purposes.

Some of the other causes of deforestation are: clearing forests for oil and mining exploitation; to
make highways and roads; slash and burn farming techniques; wildfires; and acid rain.

What are the Effects of Deforestation?

There are a number of adverse effects of deforestation, such as:

Erosion of Soil: When forest areas are cleared, it results in exposing the soil to the sun, making it
very dry and eventually, infertile, due to volatile nutrients such as nitrogen being lost. In addition,
when there is rainfall, it washes away the rest of the nutrients, which flow with the rainwater into
waterways. Because of this, merely replanting trees may not help in solving the problems caused by
deforestation, for by the time the trees mature, the soil will be totally devoid of essential nutrients.
Ultimately, cultivation in this land will also become impossible, resulting in the land becoming
useless. Large tracts of land will be rendered permanently impoverished due to soil erosion.

Disruption of the Water Cycle: Trees contribute in a large way in maintaining the water cycle. They
draw up water via their roots, which is then released into the atmosphere. A large part of the water
that circulates in the ecosystem of rainforests, for instance, remains inside the plants. When these
trees are cut down it results in the climate getting drier in that area.

Loss of Biodiversity: The unique biodiversity of various geographical areas is being lost on a scale
that is quite unprecedented. Even though tropical rainforests make up just 6 percent of the surface
area of the Earth, about 80-90 percent of the entire species of the world exist here. Due to massive
deforestation, about 50 to 100 species of animals are being lost each day. The outcome of which is
the extinction of animals and plants on a massive scale.

Flooding and Drought: One of the vital functions of forests is to absorb and store great amounts of
water quickly when there are heavy rains. When forests are cut down, this regulation of the flow of
water is disrupted, which leads to alternating periods of flood and then drought in the affected area.

Climate Change: It is well known that global warming is being caused largely due to emissions of
greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. However, what is not known quite as
well is that deforestation has a direction association with carbon dioxide emissions into the
atmosphere. Trees act as a major storage depot for carbon, since they absorb carbon dioxide from
the atmosphere, which is then used to produce carbohydrates, fats, and proteins that make up
trees. When deforestation occurs, many of the trees are burnt or they are allowed to rot, which
results in releasing the carbon that is stored in them as carbon dioxide. This, in turn, leads to greater
concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Deforestation is Affecting the Human Race In Many Different Ways

While most people know how to live life in a comfortable way, it is often not fully understood that the
modern westernized lifestyles are not helping the planet’s ecology. These lifestyles are damaging the
ecology to such an extent that soon there will no longer be an ecologically sustainable future.

Most people need to implement a much better, ecologically friendly lifestyle before it is too late, and
nature takes its course with further calamities. If most of humanity does not implement improvements
in its life and does not make ecologically sustaining lifestyle changes but continue to damage and
pollute the planet, there will not be a liveable environment in the near future.

Our ecological system is the most important part of this planetary system and it must be conserved.
Trees are of utmost importance to have an ecologically balanced environment. Without trees, there
will be no chance of surviving, not only because of the need for oxygen or because of the lack of
paper and other commodities, but in particular because this ecological structure is part of the planet’s
ecological foundation plane.

Trees are much more important to the well-being of humanity than most people know. They create
energy forms and hold much of the balance on the planet, in particular, those trees that are part of a
forest. These energy forms can be enormous and can keep people in balance mentally, emotionally,
and, to some degree, allow people to be less affected by air pollutants. Our forests must therefore be
protected.

Often people feel rejuvenated when they go for a walk or run near trees or a forest; they can feel the
peacefulness radiating from the trees. Trees have a certain energy content, which is not easy to
explain within the context of this article. The ancient forests, in particular, preserve much of this
energy structure. This energy structure is like a foundation, a building block similar to brickwork;
however, the content of this "brickwork of trees" cannot be proven. Most people resonate with this
wisdom and know this, as they know that trees need to be left to grow to be able to fulfill their own
purpose, to stabilize the planet’s own functioning.

What will be the future for humanity when there is hardly any forest left? If this deforestation continues
at this alarming rate people will need to understand that the support the forests are providing for the
overall life on the planet will be lost forever. The reduction of forests has far exceeded the threshold
whereby forests can continue to sustain humanity and the planet.

Older trees contain ancient knowledge that can have a beneficial effect on all. This ancient knowledge
inherent in a tree will simply vanish, and anyone who was sustained by these energy structures will be
affected.

Estimates are that many forests including the Amazon, one of the most important structural forests on
the planet, which is decreasing at an incredible rate, will no longer exist by the year 2025. Most of the
planet’s forests could be completely extinct by 2040. Thus, these forests, which are major contributors
to the planet’s oxygen supply, may no longer exist in the near future. Estimations are that the Amazon
forest currently contributes 15% to 20% to the planet’s oxygen supply. While there is enough oxygen
supplied in the atmosphere, the overall oxygen levels are still slowly declining.

People need to have a better understanding of how severe the degradation of the planet’s ecological
system is and how this will effect the planet and the future of humanity. There are no longer enough
ecologically well-balanced structures left on the planet to provide adequate replenishment for people.
As a result, some people could feel they have lost their brilliance. Eventually, everything in people’s
lives could be affected should people’s mental functioning become further confused because of the
loss of this inner connection and not enough forests remaining to support people and the planet.

The main priority has to be to stop further deforestation of the remaining forests. It is important to
plant additional trees before it is too late and there are not enough forests left to ecologically support
the planet and there is a point of no return. In addition, there is a need to find replacements for
products made of timber that are not harmful to the environment and can sustain the present
ecological crisis.

Without a planet that supports humanity, life on earth is not possible. The planet is the sole provider. It
provides trees for oxygen, water to drink, food to eat, raw materials for manufacture, gold for the
monetary system; humanity obtains all of these resources from the planet’s crust.

The planet’s crust is the major foundation that supports life and it is moving and changing due to
geological stress. Tectonic plate movements are increasing, and this will continue until, at least, 2025.
These plates are the physical platform on which all of life is built. The planet’s crust is under
enormous pressure as are the ecological structures on its surface. If there are no ecological structures
remaining on the planet’s surface to sustain the planet as well as humanity, life will no longer be
possible in its current form.

Humanity has not understood that this continuous taking from the planet has gone on for too long. It
has gone beyond the wildest imagination of those who understand the planet’s present state. The
planet is the foundation of life—this should not be forgotten.

How to Prevent Deforestation

You don’t have to live in the middle of a rainforest to do your part in preventing deforestation.
Below are a few suggestions to consider when you are interested in preserving the amount of forests
located in the rest of the world, as well as right in your own backyard:
a) Use Recycled Items:
Today, a consumer can purchase a variety of recycled items, including notebook paper, books, toilet
paper, and shopping bags. When people use recycled products and make a conscious effort not to
waste, the demand for new raw material to replace these items can decrease.
b) Tree Care:
When cutting down trees – single out full-grown specimens and spare younger varieties. In the event
that you must remove a tree for a legitimate reason (for safety issues or power line interference),
make sure that for every tree lost – another is planted in its place.
c) Farming Practices:
Those who plant crops at a farm can participate in putting a dent in deforestation by rotating crops.
It is suggested to replace the habit of using different portions of land each year with using the same
portion of land to plant different crops. This practice has proven effective in maintaining soil fertility.
Farmers may also embrace many other options, such as high-yield hybrid crops and hydroponics,
which relies on a method of growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions instead of soil.
d) Cut Back on Palm Oil:
In Malaysia and Indonesia, an increasing amount of trees are cut down in order to generate the palm
oil used in the production of some breads, chocolates, and shampoos. As a result, the native
orangutans are losing their habitat. You can spread awareness and limit your consumption of
products containing this type of oil.
e) Coals:
As the chill of winter takes over the autumn season, try using coals instead of firewood in your
fireplace. While it only takes a couple of hours to consume a few logs here and there, keep in mind
that it takes years for one tree to fully grow.
f) Reforestation:
Take a page from the People’s Republic of China, where the government has in the past set a
requirement that every able-bodied citizen between the ages of 11 and 60 is responsible for planting
three to five trees per year or complete an equal amount of work in other areas of forestry. Since
1982, the government claims that at least one billion trees have been planted in China as a result of
the program.
g) Become an Advocate:
Become an advocate of reforestation. Learn how you can spread the word. For instance, a middle
school in Washington took to the streets asking people for just one penny. They explained that the
money would go towards purchasing acres of Amazonian rainforest. If successful, this move ensures
that no deforestation can take place on the bought land. The effort was twofold – spreading
information and collecting money for a good cause.
h) Arbor Day Foundation’s Rain Forest Rescue [6]:
Support programs, such as this Arbor Day Foundation gem, which assists in the prevention of
deforestation. Donated money is used to purchase and preserve rainforest space before lumber
companies can get a hold of the land. As a result, the Arbor Day Foundation is able to protect the
land from deforestation.
i) Support Conservation Organizations:
Lend your support through donations of your time, money, or actions to organizations that run
programs concentrating on the preservation of forest habitats, such as Greenpeace, World Wide
Fund for Nature, Community Forestry International, and Conservation International.