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Why Save Trees?

The woodlands of the earth are in great threat. The abundant jungles of our earth are rapidly becoming extinct. These jungles are being cut down for various purposes like industrial development, farming, for production of paper and wood etc. But due to this destruction we are not only damaging the earth but also harming other species. One always wonders why we have to save trees. What do they give us?Trees are the largest and longest living things on earth, they live for more than 3000 years and how much time it takes to cut down one tree not even 3 hours. But the tree that is lost cannot be re-created in 3 minutes; it takes another 3000 years for us to get back a tree of the same size and usefulness. After all this don’t you think we should save trees?

There is not only 1 reason to save a tree but there are several. Trees have global implication on not only the life but the quality of it. Trees help us cleanse the air by intercepting airborne particles, reduce heat and absorbs pollutants, hence trees clean air. Trees are effective in blocking sound. These trees can help block sound coming from the neighbourhood and it also has the potential to diminish major noises from crowded roads, railway stations or airports. Together with blocking the sound they provide oxygen which is an essential need for the humans. Trees improve the quality of air that we breathe. In one month trees are able to produce oxygen required by 10 people for one year. This means that when the tree produces oxygen it also absorbs harmful gases like carbon dioxide from the environment, hence making the surrounding cooler. Trees are the ones which regulate and cools down the climate on earth in conjunction with other such valuable services as preventing erosion, landslides, and making the most infertile soil rich with life.

Trees are providing us with almost all that we need to survive, and in return what are we doing? Over past few years we have destroyed almost 89% of the forest cover that earth had in the 19^th century, whereas the remaining 11% is under great threat of being destroyed or ruin. The tropical rainforests covered almost 14% of earth’s land once upon a time, but now it covers only 6% of earth’s land. Due to deforestation, we have lost 137 plant types, animals of various species, insects of various types and all this because of man’s brutal behaviour towards environment. As the forests slowly fade away we are loosing out on cures of some serious diseases. Presently, there are 121 drugs which are derived from plant sources and retailed worldwide. One fourth percent of the human pharmaceutical products are originated from forest ingredients. Through this obliteration more than 50%of the world’s fauna and flora and organisms will be ruined or relentlessly jeopardized over next few years.

We are all aware about these facts, everyday in the newspaper there is something or the other about deforestation, but we have decided to close our eyes and ears and sit in a corner and let the world do what it wants. Haven’t you made yourself unheard? Or are you just pretending not to hear anything? Just ask yourself, are you bothered about the environment? If you are, please wake up, and help save our earth for future generations.

Doomsday not far

 Deforestation is clearing the earth’s land in massive scale not only affecting the land but also the quality of land. Forests still cover more than 25% of the earth’s land but sooner or later this 25% will also be lost. The world’s rainforests will disappear in next 100 years if the rate of deforestation continues the same way. There are many reasons for which these trees are being cut down, but the main reason is that people need money to provide their family with food and other daily requirements. People gain their requirement by cutting the trees and selling the wood of the tree. This is also known as logging operation which provides us with wood and paper. This operation causes a lot of trees being cut down. Another way that these loggers lead deforestation is when they build roads from remote forest areas.  Another biggest driver of deforestation is agriculture. Farmers often cut forest to make more space for farming and grazing livestock. 

Not all deforestation is intentional. Some of it is caused by both humans and natural hazards like wildfires, overgrazing which may prevent the growth of young trees. Deforestation has a lot of negative effects of environment and social life of humans. The most vivid impact is a loss of habitat for millions of species. On earth 70%of land is used by animal and plants as their homes, and many cannot survive the deforestation that destroys their homes. Deforestation also causes climate change, which often results in lesser rain and also leads in rise in the climate. The soil in the forest will dry out because sun will directly hit the surface, whereas if there were trees they would block the sunlight. Without trees many former forest lands can quickly become barren deserts.

Removing trees take away the forest of portions of its shade, which blocks the sun’s rays during the day and holds in heat at night. This disruption leads to more extreme temperatures swings that can be harmful to plants and animals.

Trees also play an important role in absorbing the greenhouse gases that causes global warming. This destruction will lead to fewer forests which means larger amount of greenhouse gases entering the atmosphere which will eventually increase the rate of global warming.

The best solution to deforestation would be to simply stop cutting down trees. Though deforestation rates have slowed a bit in recent years, financial realities make this unlikely to occur. A more effective solution is to manage the forest resources and eliminate clear-cutting which will make sure that forest environments remain intact. The cutting of trees should be balanced with the planting of tree. There should be enough young trees to replace the older ones felled in any given forest but this too wont help much a lot of time for the young tree to grow older. Though this will not help a lot but still its better than having nothing. The number of new tree plantations is growing each year, but their total still equals a tiny fraction of the Earth’s forested land. So the best way to save our earth is to stop cutting trees, or else the doomsday is not away.

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