Saving the Rainforest

Whether you have been to a rainforest or not, whenever you hear that word people usually associate it with beauty and exoticness. Rainforests are not only breathtakingly gorgeous, but are very important to the ecology of the world. Rainforests are responsible for 28% of the oxygen turn over in the world. Rainforests are the havens for millions of plants and animals as well. They actually are accountable for about 75% of the world's plants and animals.


You would think such a beautiful aspect of Earth would be appreciated and admired, but in actuality the case is the exact opposite. Rainforests once covered 14% of of the earth's land surface, but now only cover a little over 6%. The majority of people do not know this because North America does not consist of any rainforests, however, this does not make this an issue to look over and throw away.


Almost every person has taken prescription drugs atleast once in their lifetime. However, most people are unaware that over 120 prescription drugs worldwide are directly made from rainforest plants. Two-thirds of all medicines that contain cancer-fighting properties come from rainforest plants also. When rainforests are destroyed, which they are every day, we lose more than just a beautiful picutre to look at. Rainforest destruction is increasing rapidly, mostly due to logging operations. Telephone poles, for example, are made from trees in the rainforest. If you notice, there are telephone poles everywhere.



It only takes one person at a time to make a change. Everyone makes a difference. Not only does destroying rainforests destroy a beautiful aspect of nature, but it destroys homes for millions of species. Indirectly, it even affects you individually as well. Rainforests are extremely important to our world and they are disappearing daily. In a sense we are losing our perspective. Pretty soon our world is just going to be a slab of concrete full of grey, and metal skyscrapers.