Growing up in Portland, Oregon, I saw many different things from a young age, a city with many different places with abstract things and people. Apart from the mass homelessness and grueling weather in the city, there was one thing that was always a constant in my life, the trees. If it was driving down the road that always made me carsick, I could still rely on this abrupt spark of greenery. This spark of color was life, and made me feel alive. I knew everything was going to be alright when surrounded by these massive forms of life. Or if it was going to my favorite park, Columbia park, a park I spent birthdays, celebrations and hours upon hours of joyous times with friends and family. Even with the swings or slides and whatever else the playground had to offer, the one thing that made this park truly special was the trees. There had to be hundreds upon hundred of these towering and truly majestic trees. The great oak towering above me, their tops just out of sight. The smell of it  glistening in the wind and the crunch of the park in autumn, this crackling noise under my feet, like the flames of a fire, the sound of the park, the sound of the trees. This emotion created by being safely surrounded by these was unlike anything else in the world. Almost like the feeling of being in a snowglobe, encapsulated with everything that was important at the time. A life without this constant would be no life at all, a life unknown to me at the time, but a life that would soon come.

Even with all the statuesque trees that the city had to offer, this systematic loss of trees was still visible. Many times, just driving, I would see valleys full of downed trees. This disparity always made me think and wonder how this happened, how there would be parks filled with trees and then when driving 20 minutes to Beaverton, empty. This absence of trees was strange. It wasn’t until a little later in my life when I finally started making these connections and connecting these dots. As I moved out of Portland and started to get older I started to understand these ideas. When I got older I obviously learn more and understand more outside of myself. By reading through articles, watching documentaries or recent news that have reported these tragedies. An instance of this was during the summer of 2020, where like most people I was stuck inside due to the pandemic. Forced to watch NBC News, I would see stories on the horrible wildfires occurring in California and the effect they have on life. Or if it was my aunt, who still lives in Portland sending me screenshots of her air quality radar. In many instances she would show me the air quality, all the way in red, showing me just how bad the air was there due to the abundance of wildfires, this hurt me. These ideas have almost forced me to pursue this topic, wanting to do all I can to help my home, family and everything around that is hurt by deforestation.

Deforestation is an issue facing many communities all over the world, affecting people, places and our future. This issue has been happening all over the world, from the Amazon to African Jungles to Canada and the US, but specifically I want to focus on problems occurring in the Western United States. Deforestation is simply just that mass removal of trees in one confined area and this has been happening for centuries on end. Leading to both the rise and fall of empires. This problem is threatening people's livelihood, our ecosystem´s biodiversity and is speeding up climate change. Lately deforestation has been extensively happening and according to the Humane league, an organization that has used research to inform the world of problems and their effects for more than 18 years. As deforestation continues to ramp up we notice that¨We cut down more than 15 billion trees each year. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that humans—or, more specifically, the corporations and industries they manage—converted 420 million hectares of forested land for other uses since 1990¨ (The Humane League). This execution doesn't make sense due to the fact that trees are one the biggest helpers to our earth because Annika Dean, who is a reporter at an Australian based news resource, Climate Council expresses that ¨forests are important carbon sinks, meaning they draw down carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, the carbon stored in these sinks is part of an active, relatively quick carbon cycle ̈ (Dean 1). At this point in history trees are the worldś life line, providing oxygen taking in carbon as well as doing so many things people don't recognize. Due to many of the recent wildfires that have demolished forests, Congress should provide funding to state governments so that they can implement additional protected forests and provide forests with the adequate resources to fight the climate change that has been harshly affecting them, because our forests our are greatest partner in climate change, help earth's biodiversity and provide for people’s wellness.

Deforestation has been happening for what seems like thousands of years, but now it is even more prevalent in the news today due to industrial logging, animal agriculture and a lack of care for climate conditions. In addition deforestation can be caused by anything from wildfires, urbanization, mining, palm oil production and agriculture but most is because of human ¨development¨. For the average person it may seem like big news about new wildfires are quickly rising to the top of the news every summer, in recent years we have seen the massively destructive California wildfires or societal wrecking bush fires in Australia. The drier climate has pushed for a continuation of these devastating fires and Alicia Victoria Loazano who is a reporter at NBC News, where she focuses on climate issues in California and informs us that ¨As climate change continues to fuel dry conditions in the American West, many experts say it’s long past time to shift the focus back to managing healthy forests¨ (Lozano 1). As a society, as we get more technologically advanced some things have to be sacrificed, and in this case we have sacrificed the dignity of our climate. This perpetual movement forward creates a stigma that from a societal aspect that life is improving. This sacrifice didn't just begin in the 20th centuries but there have been signs since 1542 when conquistador Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, who traveled seaside and detected smoke pouring up from what is now known as the Los Angeles Basin. Again from Lozano’s article she tells us archaeologists have found that ¨Cabrillo might have been witnessing an early form of land management, including the burning of shrubs and chaparral to clear dry brush and promote better conditions for hunting big game¨(Lozano 1). Deforestation has been shown in record for at least 480 years, showing how this urge to make change is in our blood, modernization has been happening for centuries and this evidence shows it´s not a new thing. As humans we always strive to be better, but in our pasts and presents this effort has come at an expense. In the late 18th century early 19th century, a time called the industrial revolution we saw a new concept, an idea to build and create. This idea to build industries lead to expansion, this expansion leads to the urbanization of cities and so on. The Pachamama Alliance who has been working for 25 years to end deforestation with information reports that ¨The most common reason is agriculture, with 80% of deforestation resulting from extensive cattle ranching, and logging for materials and development, land to accommodate cattle, crops, and housing ̈ (The Pachamama Alliance). This desire to take technological advancements has not only caused deforestation in the past but both the present and future. Creating a need for more land and logging is not only tearing trees down now, creating more gasses but will quicken climate change in years to come.

The mass loss of trees, or deforestation forces loss of habitat, affecting native people, plants and animals that live there; in addition, also stripping away the benefits that trees have on people, plants and animals. Deforestation is affecting many things, people and places. People, plants and animals all around the world are being hurt by these fires but more specifically in the US with, In Lozano’s article she states that ¨More than 4.1 million acres already scorched in California alone, at least 31 people dead and hundreds of others forced to flee their homes¨ (Lozano 1). As a result of these fires countless people and places have been affected. Innocent people who are just trying to live their lives have been killed by these fires. In addition, millions of acres of land was destroyed. These fires decimating key land to our lives, the fires setting society back, making it harder to live, grow and love.  The organization The Humane League points out that these fires don’t just take away land that belongs to us but all types of animals, the land that is taken away drives “135 plant, animal, and insect species to extinction every day. That’s 50,000 species per year, lost forever” (The Humane League). Apart from the horror that this statistic reveals about all these stranded animals, if we look at this from a long term perspective we will continue to lose more and more species to deforestation. Over the next few hundred years as we lose more and more animals they will have catastrophic impacts on society and life as we know it. This lack of biodiversity has massive effects on not just ecosystems but on people, animals provide food to eat, sights to see and help our earth prosper. Deforestation not only hurts people and animals now but it will affect the lives of many in the future. As trees are cut down co2 is released and while this may not seem like a big issue now but according to Dean’s article “global loss of tropical forests contributed about 4.8 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide per year (or about 8-10% of annual human emissions of carbon dioxide)” (Dean 1). As we continue to decimate more and more forests this problem becomes drastically more dangerous to the human race. A continuation  at this rate can lead to dire consequences as increased co2 production will continue to speed up climate change which continues to affect our earth daily. This creation of greenhouse gasses is burning a hole in the ozone, creating a much drier environment, increasing the chances of another massive fire rampaging through the country. Deforestation can happen in so many ways, affecting so many different things and people, decimating lives, ecosystems and species. As this problem of deforestation isn’t necessarily taken as serious now as this continues its effects will only worsen creating even more dire consequences for future generations to come.

Whilst wood is being used for things like infrastructure, this removal of trees is putting co2 into the atmosphere and disallowing trees to do their job of photosynthesis, speeding up climate change and pulling our earth into a frenzy. These seemingly simple plants provide so much for people and are one of the biggest reasons for human advancement. In the past we’ve used trees for wood, paper and to build, but we have been ignoring what they do the best, fighting climate change. Trees perform photosynthesis, taking in water, sunlight and co2 and putting out oxygen and sugars. When we cut trees down we disallow them to do this anymore and information from Annika Dean tells us the continuation of burning fossil fuels and deforestation has seen¨More carbon dioxide building up in the atmosphere – The build-up of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is driving global warming, as it traps heat in the lower atmosphere. Carbon dioxide levels are now at their highest in human history¨ (Dean 1). This additional carbon dioxide from the labor that is taking down the trees and disallowing trees to perform photosynthesis has and will continue to cause chaos. This work is fast passing global warming and its consequences to heavily affect the earth even sooner. Showing this continuation of building and building is as a society not putting us as far as we originally thought. If co2 emissions are the highest they’ve ever been, we have to think what our world will look like in 50, 60 years or even further into the future. This removal of trees doesn’t just put co2 into the atmosphere, heating up the world, it disallows trees to use their canopies, remarks from the Pachamama Alliance “provide shelter for some species and also provide the canopy that regulates the temperature. Deforestation results in a more drastic temperature variation from day to night” (The Pachamama Alliance). This action performed by trees provides so much for not just people and plants but our future. Canopy’s actions are fighting global warming, cooling the earth to help us in the long run. These actions aren’t only seen in jungles and forest but in cities all across the world. Trees are used even in the metropolitan city like Louisville, to help cool down and regulate air in downtown louisville whilst fighting emissions made by big corporations. Trees do not only cool down our planet but help in the fight against natural disasters. The Humane League claims that trees hold soil firm and absorb rainwater in floods, but specifically reports from Haiti’s massive 2004 flood and it was “Revealed that the removal of 98% of the Island nation’s forests caused the flooding—deeming the floods a “man-made ecological disaster” (The Humane League). This flood decimated all of the small country, turning it into ruins. Without this help from trees the effects from the flood are even more dramatic, ruining lives, the environment and destroying everything some people knew. This statistic shows how trees are so important to not just our livelihood but to our ecosystems and fighting climate change in the future and present.

Trees provide so much for not just humans but animals as well, providing homes for many, creating biodiversity all throughout the world for all types of animals. Trees are the lifeline for many creatures, providing homes and resources to many, forests provide a habitat to 80% of the world’s amphibious species and 68% of mammals (The Humane League). This shows just how vital trees are to biodiversity to all species of the world. In past years we have lost lots of land due to deforestation. As seen above we notice that many different species call forests home and obviously this mass deforestation will have a profound effect on these animals. The Humane League reports that “Researchers have observed the decline of entire species’ populations in response to deforestation-driven habitat loss”(The Humane League). As we continue to lose more and more forest we will most definitely see a relationship with loss of forest. This habitat loss due to deforestation is driving animals out of their homes, driving that species into extinction. This loss of species heavily affects the earth more than we may think, as biodiversity continues the food chain and contains the ecosystems while doing so much more. A prime example of how this massive deforestation is affecting our biodiversity is Orangutans, which in past years have been severely affected by deforestation. We all know that orangutans are one of the most beloved species in all of the world, but the Humane League states that “Orangutans only live on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo, where palm oil production has leveled entire forests. Orangutans suffered a population decline of 25% in a single decade, largely due to deforestation of their homes” (The Humane League). This colossal loss of orangutans is just one example of a loss in earth’s biodiversity. As we continue to lose more and more different species our earth is losing an ally. An ally that can help provide for its forest and an ally that is a part of the ecosystem. This loss of forest coverage is hurting an iconic species, causing pain to an animal that doesn’t deserve it. Just like trees, our oceans also act as carbon sinks, taking in co2 to provide for the earth, land species aren’t the only type of species that is heavily affected ,as many aquatic species are also hurt due to deforestation and The Humane League presents to us that “When water becomes more acidic, it can actually dissolve the shells and skeletons of organisms like oysters, clams, sea urchins, shallow water corals, deep sea corals” (The Humane League). This evidence suggests that not only land species are affected but many different types of marine life too. Showing how deforestation is doing so much more to people than we ever could have imagined, and when these trees are torn down the pressure is then applied to our oceans and whatever they may contain. These acidic properties that are being released into the ocean are unfairly affecting the aquatic life that act as assistants to the ecosystem, aquatic life that promotes scientific discovery and aquatic life that acts as food to many, providing energy and life throughout the globe. This lack of care for the well being of what many think of as “just a tree”, but these piles of wood to many do so much. With this absence of trees in our world we know how species are hurt and unable to prosper. When these key players in our world are consistently unable to help, life will continue to get increasingly more difficult.

Deforestation is doing a lot more than just removing trees from forests, this removal is affecting people, their health and wellness, when trees are removed it takes away opportunities from many. As deforestation continues to ravage our world we see it have a profound effect on people and can have a societal impact on our future. Jessica Turner-Skoff and Nicole Cavender are two writers at the New Phytologist Foundation, they talked about how the air polluters that trees would take in “is linked to bronchitis symptoms, intraocular pressure, myocardial infarction (i.e. heart attacks), changes in microvascular function, autism, blood pressure, cognitive development problems in children,, heart failure, and mortality in humans¨ (Turner Skoff and Cavander 2). This is a big issue. This evidence shows how what trees do for us could extend our lives and keep us illness free. In addition this evidence also highlights additional societal problems with deforestation. Showing how cutting down these trees can lead to profound negative impacts on humans that can affect them for the rest of their lives. Again we hear from Turner-Skoff and Cavander, who talk about how the presence of trees “promotes well-being. Trees and greener environments are strongly linked to reduced negative thoughts, reduced symptoms of depression, better reported moods, and increased life satisfaction¨ (Turner-Skoff and Cavander 2). This is showing how trees not only physically help a person but can lead to mental stability. As of late in our world many people have faced mental illness in many different ways for many different reasons. This explains the impact that trees can have on people in multiple dimensions and how trees are vital to the complete wellbeing of a human. While Turner-Skoff and Cavander continue to reiterate how helpful trees are to humans they mention “Urban trees can provide economic benefits, they can also provide resources, such as food, to a community” (Turner-Skoff and Cavander 3). This is due to the fact that “Urban orchards can be an efficient way to consistently provide free or low-cost nutrient-dense food” (Turner-Skoff and Cavander 2). This idea shows how trees can provide help for people in many faucets. Trees may have the ability to stop floods or reduce greenhouse gasses but we cannot ignore what they do easiest, grow food. Trees being able to provide food to people in need is another additional useful asset of them. They supply people with the nutrients they need to push throughout the day, the nutrients to continue living and fighting. Finally Turner-Skoff and Cavander reveal how trees can provide help with academic performance. A study in the two’s paper tells about how students who had views of trees in classrooms compared to walls “scored substantially higher on tests measuring attention, and they had a faster recovery from a stressful event. Students who learn in the presence of trees and nature have improved classroom engagement” (Turner-Skoff and Cavander 4). This evidence showing how trees can provide for people on a different level. The cognitive boost that trees give us is real, academically speaking our performance is improved in the presence of trees, just another way trees improve lives. Additionally this evidence shows that trees provide better test scores which can lead to an overall better future. Trees are the cornerstone of human civilization, providing/ allowing people to live a happy and healthy life. Doing so much for people, these trees help us in so many more ways that we ever would have imagined, creating the world today as we know it.

Deforestation has been seen in the news recently, almost every past summer. This has been for good reason, because deforestation takes away opportunity from everyone, removing trees from our earth, deteriorating people's lives. When we evolve and continue building as a society we continue to leave behind trees, the very things that promotes human survival. Even when we create new things and improve life, we always take a step back, a step for the very trees that helped us get here. As these trees continue to be demolished we are hurting our future, putting more and more co2 into the atmosphere, increasing greenhouse gas emissions, raising the temperature. Even though this lack of trees is hurting the future for people and animals it is also affecting them right now. Both land and sea animals have been heavily affected by the effects of deforestation. We have seen populations of animals like the gorilla take a dive and habitats for corals, oysters, clams, and shells become acidic because of deforestation. While deforestation harms many innocent animals, humans also lose every time a tree is taken out of the ground. Trees have been connected to helping morality in humans, life satisfaction and have been tested to raise test scores. It has been seen that trees are more than “just a big stick in the ground”, they have an immense effect on all forms of life and should be treated like. To continue allowing these pupils of life to prosper we need to protect them. We need to continue to create more protected forests. These protections will allow trees to thrive, away from human use, away from fires that can devastate them. As more and more forests become protected, they will stray away from natural disasters, disasters that can be catastrophic to these forests. Because of many wildfires that have heavily affected forests, Congress needs to give state governments additional money to make more forests protected and give forests the tools they need to fight climate change, because our forests help us fight climate change, provide for earth's biodiversity and help people’s mental/physical health.

Works Cited

Dean, Annika. “Deforestation and Climate Change.” Climate Council, 9 Feb. 2021, www.climatecouncil.org.au/deforestation/.

“Effects Of Deforestation On Humans And The Environment.” Thehumaneleague.Org, thehumaneleague.org/article/effects-of-deforestation#:~:text=Cutting%20down%20trees%20releases%20their,effect%20and%20accelerate%20climate%20change. Accessed 19 May 2023.

“Effects of Deforestation.” The Pachamama Alliance, pachamama.org/effects-of-deforestation#:~:text=The%20loss%20of%20trees%20and,of%20problems%20for%20Indigenous%20people. Accessed 19 May 2023.

Lozano, Alicia Victoria. “NBC News Author Alicia Victoria Lozano.” NBCNews.Com, 18 Oct. 2020, www.nbcnews.com/author/alicia-victoria-lozano-ncpn1112366.

Turner-Skoff, Jessica B., and Nicole Cavander. “The Benefits of Trees for Livable and ... - Wiley Online Library.” New Phytologist Foundation, 8 July 2019, nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ppp3.39.