Deforestation:Global Impact,

Causes & Recommendations

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The forests are the “lungs” of our land,

purifying our air and giving strength to our

people.” ~Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Why are forests so important?

Provide livelihood and sustenance

Protect us from natural disasters

Purify the air we breathe Help moderate climate

Causes of Deforestation

Commercial Exploitation Cattle Ranching Development Agriculture Poverty & Inequality Beliefs

Effects of Deforestation

Topsoil Biodiversity Potential Discoveries Desertification Eco-tourism Global Warming

Greenhouse GasesGreenhouse Gases

CO2 Fossil Fuel, Deforestation,Animal Respiration

CH4 Cattle, Rice-paddies, Gasleaks, Termites, Mining

N2O Burning of Fossil Fuels,Deforestation

CFCs Air-conditioning, Solvents &Chemicals used inRefrigeration

O3 Car exhaust, Power Plants,Photochemicals

The “Good” ozone vs. “Bad” ozone: In the

stratosphere it protects the Earth from harmful UV radiation

In the troposphere it can damage crops and exasperate lung problems like asthma

Recommendations

Reduce demand for timber products Manage rather than mine forests Revamp forest concession policies Set aside revenue as “environmental fee”

for forest conservation Emphasize low impact harvesting Educate public

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“We did not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we have borrowed it from our children.”

~A Bumper Sticker