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All the details and
information about How To Prevent Deforestation and
lots more!
There have been so many
discussions on the effects of deforestation in our
environment. These effects range from alarming to
catastrophic. We have read newspaper headlines that
show the wreckage that natural disasters have done.
Flashfloods have not only damaged millions of
properties all over the globe but it has also
collected lives. Landslides have done the same.
These two are the results of nature's balance that
has been disturbedóthey are the effects of
deforestation.
Deforestation is the
act of converting patches of forests to become
areas of residence or industry. More and more
businessmen are pushing through forests to obtain
more land. Environment is sacrificed in exchange
for profit. And this is a highly disturbing
fact.
As
an individual or as a part of the global community,
you can do something to help prevent deforestation.
Maybe you can't fight off illegal loggers with your
bear hands but with some basic ways, you can make a
differenceóno matter how small. Here's a
list:
1. If deforestation is
a negative event, then a positive event should take
place to counter its effectsóreforestation.
Plant trees and begin doing this in your yard.
Trees give off oxygen that is essential for human
existence and they, in turn, capture the carbon
dioxide that humans and animals exhale. Trees also
help in containing water in its roots. With this
simple act, you are able to prevent soil erosion,
which is the root cause of
landslides!
2. Use recycled items
such as books or pad paper, toilet paper, even
shopping bags. If you can, do not waste any of
these products so that no new raw material would be
required to replace them.
3. If you are a farmer
(or if you know someone who works as a farmer), try
to rotate your crops. Instead of using a different
portion of land each year, why not use the same
portion with different crops? This
practice also helps in maintaining the fertility of
the soil. With the rotation of crops, not only is
there a variety on the harvest each year, there is
also the possibility of keeping that portion of
land for as long as you can.
4. Cut down only the
mature trees. Do not kill baby trees. And for every
tree that is lost, plant another one as a
replacement.
5. Join environmental
awareness groups that would help you be an advocate
of reforestation. In Washington, specifically in
the Washington Middle School, there was a group of
students that established a service-learning
project. In their project, they asked a penny from
each person. They explained that this money would
help in buying acres of the rainforest in Amazon.
Once this pushes through, no deforestation could
take place in that purchased area. 
6. There is a report
that in Indonesia and Malaysia, more and more trees
are cut down to produce palm oil. This massive
destruction in the forests of both countries
resulted into the loss of habitat for the native
orangutans. With the loss of more trees, more
animals become homeless. You can't help prevent
this altogether but you can limit your consumption
of products that contain palm oil such as breads,
chocolates, and even some cosmetics such as
shampoo, soap or toothpaste. As to your food
consumption, you can begin a diet of roasted or
boiled foods instead of frying them.
7. Instead of using
firewood, use coals to heat up your fireplaces
during the winter season. Remember that it takes
only a few hours to consume the firewood but it
would take years to grow a single tree. Think twice
before purchasing firewood again.
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