Do you ever wonder where the paper we use comes from? In general, we know paper comes from trees, but what trees are being used? Some would say our supply comes from forests all over the world, such as the Amazon, Congo or the Atlantic Forest. Unfortunately, they are right. 11 regions around the world make up the majority of deforestation, which is the process of cutting down trees.
The result of deforestation can be disastrous. Eliminating trees destroys ecosystems, killing most of the biodiversity in the area. This in turn disrupts other factors that are dependent of them. Some consequences are animal endangerment and extinction, soil erosion and disruptions in the Earth’s carbon and climate cycles.
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However, deforestation does not stop there. One major impact is on plant species. When clearing land, you kill plant species that grew in a certain place for many years. Without certain plants, certain medicines cannot be made anymore. As stated in the article “What Are the Benefits of Forests and the Consequences of Deforestation?,” “Important amounts of the drugs we use are extracted from tropical plants and animals and the majority of drugs used to fight cancer are coming from there as well. Forests contain a potential source of an amazing amount of cures, but most of it hasn’t been discovered yet. Human health is directly linked with the conservation of forests and all of their aspects.”
Life is possible because trees and plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen by photosynthesis. In other words, they can be considered a natural filter to fight air pollution and global warming. This in turn affects the changes in climate zones in various regions.
Despite these consequences, people think that deforestation is an agricultural investment. The cutting down of trees for business is better know as logging. Logging creates fuel and supplies to build houses. Trees cut down creates fuel, but fuel pollutes our air and water systems. However, people still use it. People also clear land to make space for new houses and neighborhoods. However, it endangers the wellbeing of the people that move to that area because of the species of animals that once lived there and are still searching for new homes.
Deforestation is not something people should look lightly upon. It should be against the law to mess with Mother Nature because it can ultimately result in irreversible damage. If we continue to cut down trees, deforestation won't stop without a law being passed. I agree that "deforestation has slowed over the last 10 years, but each year an area roughly the size of Costa Rica is still destroyed" (United Nations News).
Some countries have acknowledged the consequences of deforestation and are trying to stop the wide scale cutting down of trees. On May 26, 2016, Norway officially became the world's first country to ban deforestation. With positive changes like this, our forests can be saved.
