The forests on our planet such as the Amazon rainforest are known to be earth's lungs. Without these forest, we wouldn't be alive, nor would any living thing. I wouldn't imagine and accept our earth dying for the reason of deforestation. Forests have helped us so much, yet we now have come to a point where we are abusing these forests and not returning the favor. Deforestation is one of the biggest environmental challenges today. We need these forest for oxygen, and millions of different plants and animals need these forests for shelter. “3.5 billion to 7 billion trees cut down each year” (Rainforest Action Network). If we do not reduce the amount of trees we cut each year, then we can say bye to our planet.
The first reason I know that we should decrease deforestation is because all living things need the trees for oxygen, as well as to decrease the amount of C02 that is released in the atmosphere. Trees are known to capture C02 and transform it into the air we breathe. If we continue cutting the trees that help us get air we will first, have no oxygen, and second the C02 will continue to contribute to the climate change/global warming. According to the World Carfree Network (WCN), “Cars and trucks account for about 14 percent of global carbon emissions, while most analysts attribute upwards of 15 percent to deforestation” (Deforestation and Its Extreme Effect on Global Warming). These statistics prove that deforestation ends up adding more C02 to the atmosphere, when these trees could have helped us reduce some of the C02 already released in the air. Moreover, the trees that are supposed to help us reduce C02 in the air, are actually becoming the ones that produce more of it in the air. Therefore, they are not helping reduce the carbon dioxide they are producing when burned. As a result, less trees, lower oxygen, more deforestation, and global warming.
The second reason why I believe that we should decrease deforestation is because many millions of animals and plants live there. According to National Geographic:  “Eighty percent of Earth’s land animals and plants live in forests, and many cannot survive the deforestation that destroys their home” (Deforestation and Its Effect on the Planet.). If we continue deforestations, many of the plants and animals that live there will become endangered, and later on extinct. The more we cut down trees, the more we lose the forests’ living things. Now, you might ask, why would the loss of animals and plants affect us? The main reason is because we need them to produce food! We get meat from animals and fruits and vegetables from plants. And as much as we need them for food, we also need the plants for medical products. In consequence, if there are no more animals, or plants, there is no more food, or important products for our health.The idea that such simple and useful living things are being destroyed by humans, really makes me feel angry.
People might say that the reason for deforestation is because we need it for space and products such as paper, which I agree, but the problem is that deforestation has become excessive. It's also true that we need space for our growing population, however, for every tree cut down, we need to plant a new one in order to match the numbers of the trees already lost. Trees are immoderately utilized for other purposes as well. The following data shows the percentages of what deforestation is used for: “Timber harvesting (37%), agricultural expansion (28%), wildfire (21%), construction of roads for resource mining and extraction, pipelines, and power lines (12%) and expansion of transportation networks via roads (2%)” (Rainforest Action Network). If we learn how to decrease these percentages then there will be less of a problem, but right now we are cutting more trees than we need to. Sam Martin states that: “35 percent of the total trees cut around the world are used in paper industries on every continent” (Martin). This is also more than what we need, especially the fact that technology is developing and as a result we shouldn’t need that much paper. I am convinced that if we reduce, reuse and recycle the paper and other products that are made from trees, then deforestation will decrease. Furthermore, we need everyone to participate, educate others, and understand that trees are more than living things and need our help more than ever.
I know all of this is easy to tell, and not easy to realize, but think about your future generations that will have low oxygen to breathe, and famine. We want everyone that has a chance to be on earth live a great life, and by all making changes now, we can assure that the future generations will live great lives as well as animals. If we do not reduce the amount of trees we cut each year, then we can say bye to our planet. Thus, I am just addressing myself to the readers, and ask you to put some effort in helping our planet survive.