It’s big, unique, diverse, it’s home to about 1/4 of the world’s land based species but, 2.5 million acres were lost last year to deforestation. It’s still in rapid decline. This loss is not sustainable.
We live beyond our means on this planet – the only one we have. Trees are cut down faster than they can grow. Global markets show no signs of slowing down. Cattle ranching, logging, oil & gas extraction and agriculture are all helping deforestation. Local people depend on it for their livelihoods.
The Amazon basin also contains around 17% of the planet’s fresh water. Forests help regulate local and global water cycles and reduce soil erosion. Deforestation and degradation contribute to the increase of carbon emissions into our atmosphere so protecting them helps minimise the impact of climate change.
We need to change our buying habits. The furniture we sit on, the cards we sent to friends, the box we buy our sandwiches in all come from trees. We need to consume from sustainable sources to keep the lungs of our planet alive and well.
For more info go to wwf.org.uk/
