Brief History of deforestation in the Amazon
The Amazon rainforest is being cut clear to provide land for agriculture, as well as timber, since the 1960s, starting with the same slash and burn methods that are still utilised today. This began when farmers started building farms within the Amazon. These problems have only continued to grow, as demand has increased for timber as well as farm production.
Brazil: Amazon sees worst deforestation levels in 15 Years (BBC News Story Summary)
Brazil’s space agency has reported a deforestation rate increase of 22% in just a year, even though they were one of the countries during the most recent COP 26 conference to agree to a bill to end and reverse deforestation by 2030. According to the most recent data, this amounts to an additional 13,235 Square km of deforested Amazon rainforest in the 2020-2021 period. The reason for this increase can be attributed to policies set out by Jair Bolsonaro. During his presidency, he has encouraged Agricultural expansion as well as Mining expansion in the Amazon. Last Year a Greenpeace Investigation discovered links between the mass deforestation of the region, and food supplied to British supermarkets. This link was that the British meat industry was selling meat which had been fed from soybeans grown in the Amazon. This UK supplier was also found to supply meat to Tesco, Asda and McDonald’s.
For the full article, click here: Brazil: Amazon sees worst deforestation levels in 15 years - BBC News
Interesting facts about the rainforest
The Amazon basin holds an estimated 20% of our fresh water.
An estimated 20% of earth oxygen is generated from the amazon rainforest.
One hectare of Amazon rainforest may contain up to 750 types of trees, as well as 1500 species of plants.
It is a vital carbon store that slows down the pace of global warming by converting the carbon dioxide from pollution back into the oxygen that we breath.
The Amazon is home to about 3 million different species of plants and animals.
Currently 121 prescription drugs sold worldwide come from plant derived sources.
While 25% of the world’s pharmaceuticals are derived from rainforest ingredients, only 1% of these tropical plants and trees have been tested.
Today over 100 pharmaceutical companies including branches of the U.S government, giants like “Merck” and the “National Cancer Institute”, are currently engaged in plant research projects in places like the Amazon for possible cures for Viruses, infections, Cancer and even AIDS.
For more fun facts about the Amazon Rainforest you can visit the following site: Facts and information on the Amazon Rainforest (rain-tree.com)
Taking all of these amazing facts about the Amazon Rainforest into account, it is clear that the Amazon is a much more “valuable” resource to humanity than just the timber and agricultural value. If we want to use the Amazon effectively, we need to see it for its true value. This value is held within the rainforest itself, but we cannot use these resources if there is no Amazon rainforest. If we want to discover possible cures for diseases like cancer and AIDS, then we need the rainforest. If we want to keep 20% of the worlds freshwater store, then we need the rainforest. If we want to preserve our planets biodiversity, then we need the rainforest. If we even want to preserve the very air, we breath, we need the rainforest as 20% of our oxygen is derived from it. So, don’t you see, the value of the rainforest is held in the knowledge that we gain from it staying the way it was created, not by destroying it through economic greed. And if we do not put more pressure on these governments that oversee its destruction to stop clearcutting and start preserving, then we will lose countless resources in the form of medicinal knowledge, clean water, unknown plants and animals and even the very air we breathe.