Deforestation: How we are swallowing our future in this Tech era
A new prediction of doomsday is made, with rain forests vanishing in a century from now, extreme droughts, floods rising and, people dying of hunger. I am not reading the prediction of some ancient prophecy of the end of the world, but our most powerful enemy, humans, plans this. By reaching in the most advanced era of technology, we have turned the world into a global village, building skyscrapers all around us, but nature is vanishing. Knowingly, we are building a concrete jungle in place of the regular one; unknowingly we are bringing the doomsday to us ourselves: by deforestation.
Understanding Deforestation
We all can define deforestation, but let us understand how and why deforestation happens. The forests cover approximately 31% of the land or used to. Unquestionably, the greed of land, raw material from forests, animals, has taken control over humankind. We are mindlessly clearing the forests, nonetheless sacrificing the long-term benefits of standing trees for short-term gain. As a result, only 6.2 million square kilometres remain of the original 16 million square kilometres of tropical rain forest .
While our world is trying to control climate change, preserve wildlife. On the other hand, we are wiping away the solutions. The global loss of trees is approximately 10 billion, whereas the global forest loss in 2010–2020 was 7 million ha per year.
The Wrath of Deforestation
While deforestation is affecting every being on this earth, in this article I will talk only about how it threatens our species.
Effects Of Deforestation
Climate Change
Remember how the weather in our childhood was so dreamy. Not only the summers were warm but also winters were also cozy times. In contrast, now we experience harsh summers, chilly winters and flood while it rains. With millions of trees cut down in the past few decades, the weather conditions of places have changed.
The plants follow the process of transpiration, which in result make a cycle of evaporation and rainfall. This keeps the place cool and temperature-controlled and prevents soil erosion, leaving the trees out of the picture has lead to adverse climate changes in all the places, which are now increasing.
Global Warming
The trees have a perfect tradeoff with the animal kingdom – Oxygen for Carbon dioxide. The trees absorb the CO2 emitted by us, keeping the world ‘fit’ for living. With deforestation happening, there are a fewer number of trees left for absorbing CO2 misbalancing the carbon levels. Besides that, when trees are cut down they release the carbon they are storing, back to the atmosphere. This further increases the carbon emission in the atmosphere.
In addition, World Carfree Network (WCN) states that while vehicles contribute about 14 percent of gcp (global carbon emissions); deforestation contributes more than 15 percent of the gcp. Maybe we cannot see the price we are paying, but the price is heavy.
The livelihood of natives
Whereas our livelihood may not depend on hunting, gathering, or small-scale agriculture, but the livelihood of millions of natives of forests does. With the forests gone, these natives loose their livelihood, home and culture. In parts of Southeast Asia, deforestation caused people to migrate to urban areas and struggle for livelihood.
Also Read: Making Earth More Green
Hunger
In addition to this, deforestation also occurs for agricultural purposes, but sometimes that works against the cause. Deforestation brings climate change – untimely raining, drought, soil erosion, etc. This reduces the quality and quantity of crops. Along with population increasing, not everyone gets lucky enough to get meals. Subsequently forests become a reservoir for communities with little income. They can rely on nuts, edible plants, and forest animals until they find other sources, or food is imported. Deforestation robs people of these resources. One out of six people relies directly on forests for food.
But the world is still not broken, Right?
Now you read all the damage that is happening and then see around you, you can breathe, no apocalypse happening and everything still feels okay. So maybe, the damage is not that much; I mean everything seems right around you, so why am I giving you a panic attack as this is some avenger level threat.
Because it is, with we humans alone more than 7 billion and increasing, the greed of the human is rising at par. We are risking our own quality of life, gambling the stability of the climate, extending species to extinction. While crisis has yet to reach an alarming level, it is important to examine existing impoverishment. Loss of natural systems could make activities of humans vulnerable to ecological surprises. They can range from like disease outbreaks, destruction of renewable sources etc.
Concluding
In the time we spend to read “Deforestation”, a forest land equal to the patch of football court is already cleared.
A damage that has taken place is hard to cover up in a short period. It is now required we acknowledge and understand how our ignorance is dooming our future. We might not be best friends with nature, but there is time to start one. Plant trees, heal nature, be a warrior and enjoy the blessing of the green.
If you want to help nature recover but do not have time or do not know where to start, we at whereismytree.com will help your good intentions become a real contribution. Both our future and our destruction are in our hands. Choose accordingly and listen to nature calling.