Ria Beri ‘27
EE Staff Writer
The way we are headed, our great-grandchildren will not be able to see the Amazon Rainforest. With record-breaking deforestation rates that destroy areas as large as New Mexico every year, The World Counts estimates that the Amazon, along with all of the world’s rainforests, will be gone by 2100. This means that we have just 76 years to set things right, or else we will face irreversible consequences forever.
The Amazon Rainforest is a 55 million-year-old, 2.6 million square mile rainforest that spans mainly across Brazil, but also throughout Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Suriname, Guyana, and French Guiana. The rainforest is home to 3 million species, 10% of Earth’s wildlife, and aids in globally supplying medicine, oxygen, wood, water, and food.
Up until recent decades, the features of the Amazon Rainforest were exceedingly similar to those in the photo on the right. The rainforest boasted lush greenery, azure rivers, flamboyant birds, majestic sunsets, and exotic plants. However, the rivers are now dirty and contaminated, the plants dying and wilted, and the sky too smoky to see the sun.
The Brazilian Government has long attempted to clear parts of the rainforest but only became successful in the 1960s due to the inventions of high-scale machineries like chainsaws and bulldozers. While reasons for this destruction of land include logging, crop farming, oil extraction, and dam-building, Time Magazine reports that gold mining and cattle ranching are the leading causes of the deforestation.
Nearly 80% of the cleared land has been converted into pasture land where cattle are raised and slaughtered for their meat. In addition, illegal miners have demolished the habitats of various animals in their quests for gold and minerals. How does the U.S. fit in with all of this? According to professor Holly Gibbs from AP News, America “has contributed to the Amazon’s destruction because it sources beef from companies that purchase cows raised on deforested land.” In fact, the U.S. imports 83 million pounds of beef from Brazil each year, making it Brazil’s second highest beef consumer.
It is obvious that all of this deforestation is taking a negative toll on our world. Each year, nearly 5,000 species are lost to rainforest destruction. Additionally, the Amazon Rainforest, known as “the lungs of the Earth,” produces nearly 10% of the globe’s oxygen. With each passing year, deforestation causes the dying plants to stop producing oxygen and instead emit carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and other pollutants. Not only is this insufficient in keeping plants and humans alive, but it also raises temperatures by 12 degrees Fahrenheit. In addition to these effects, a lack of plants leads to massive flooding as vegetation is needed to soak up excess run-off and rainwater. This disrupts the hydrological balance of the forest and leads to soil erosion, making the area unlivable for all.
With all of that being said, there are still several ways to stop the deforestation and save the Amazon. The key is to make sure that we are not part of the problem. Cut down on your beef consumption, and when you do buy the meat, make sure that it is from a company that does not use deforested land. Additionally, purchasing other honest products from or even visiting Brazil and the countries that contain the rainforest will provide those economy’s with adequate funding (ecotourism), reducing their need to hack down the forest for cattle herding and other money-making activities.
To go the extra step, volunteer or host a fundraiser for one of the many pro-Amazon Rainforest organizations: Amazon Conservation, Rainforest Foundation US, Amazon Watch, Rainforest Trust, Rainforest Action Network, Survival International, International Working Group for Indigenous Affairs. These programs work to rebuild the rainforest through sustainable measures and preserve Indigenous culture and rights. Remember, our planet and ecosystem are here solely to support us, so it is our utmost responsibility to put in the effort and support them back.