What is deforestation?

Ruairi

Deforestation is the removal of forests, often to make space for farming of beef, soybean, cocoa, palm oil and timber. Which are all in big demand from countries like the UK.

The deforestation of tropical rainforests is a big worry across the world. As well as being home to people, animals and plants, rainforests are often described as ‘the lungs of the planet’.

Rainforests like the Amazon in South America, absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, which is vital for tackling global climate change.

Over thousands of years these giant lungs have taken in greenhouse gasses like carbon dioxide and locked them away inside their, trunks, roots and the soil.

So when we cut the trees down we release that carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere. And…we’ve just cut down the very things that could lock it away again.

If deforestation was a country it would be the third largest emitter of greenhouse gasses.

But deforestation and habitat destruction is not limited to tropical countries. Europe has lost over half of its forests due to farming and use of wood as fuel.

And the UK, and Ireland are among the least-wooded countries in Western Europe.

The impacts of our actions travel far across the globe. It’s estimated that the UK needs almost double the area of land we have to meet our own food demand.

The more we buy, the more we impact the lands beyond our borders.

Forests are home to over 80% of all species on land. If we continue to destroy them, not only will we lose all the plants and animals that live there, but also the medicines, food, wood and shelter that they provide.

But don’t worry, there is still time for us to slow down and stop deforestation! If we preserve and repair these habitats, we will protect our endangered species, absorb more carbon dioxide and reduce the risk of flooding.

So what can we do to help?

On a global scale, governments can introduce regulations that slow down and eventually stop deforestation. For example, Costa Rica has introduced a ‘no deforestation’ policy.

Ensuring they only cut down what they can replace. In the first 20 years of the scheme they saved more than 1 million hectares of forest and planted over 7 million trees.

As individuals we can think about how the items we buy are made, and where they come from. For example, you may not eat much soybean, but 80% of its production is used to feed the animals you maybe do eat.

So the consumption of animal products adds to the demand for soybean… they cut down the forests to plant more…and I think you get where I’m going with this!

We can also help by buying less stuff, reducing food waste, buying stuff that was made locally and buying sustainably made products.

If we all start thinking about what we can do individually, we can help make a difference together to protect our forests and our planet.