Do today’s rainforests need our help? Some may believe that there are plenty rainforests that are still alive today, but this second, homes are being destroyed, plants are being killed, thousands of years of history is lost. For what? Poor farmers who want more land, and logging companies that only want money. Should the whole world suffer for these farmers and loggers that are destroying the rainforests?

What is so special about the rainforests? According to the World Wildlife Fund, the world’s rainforests contain about two thirds of the earth’s living species. Rainforests also contain many unknown plants and animals. These plants could hold the cures for cancer, AIDS and other serious diseases. The world’s largest rainforest, the Amazon, contains 15% of the earth’s flowing fresh flowing water. That water could be our children and grand-children’s lives. Obviously, the rainforests are worth saving.

Many horrible things are done to the rainforests. Acres are burned for farming, hundreds of thousands of trees are cut down for lumber, animal’s homes and lives are lost, and species are driven extinct. www.savetherainforest.org states, “Every second . . we lose an area the size of two football fields!
Every minute . . we lose an area 29 times the size of the Pentagon!
Every hour . . . we lose an area 684 times larger than the New Orleans Superdome!
Every day . . . we lose an area larger than all five boroughs of New York City!” and, “Every year . . . we lose an area more than twice the size of Florida!” What could be more important than the “earth’s lungs,” the “world’s largest pharmacy?” According to national geographic, “The world’s rainforests could completely vanish in a hundred years at the current rate of deforestation.” Do we want one of the greatest things about our planet to disappear forever? This would be like having a whole country sink into the ocean.

The many animals that live in the rainforest are in danger of extinction by the hands of deforestation and poaching. www.savetherainforest.org states, “By conservative estimates, 9,000 species are going extinct each year, most of them from the rainforests.” I know, it is
almost impossible to stop poaching, but the forests could be protected from deforestation by laws, and penalties for those who disregard the importance of the rainforests. By creating these laws, the rate of extinction and deforestation would reduce greatly, and our earth would be able to keep some of its plants and animals for a little longer. The only problem in saving the rainforests is the legal issues, although it may take a long time to save the rainforests, we need to encourage our government to continue to strive toward saving the rainforests.

I know that by now, you probably think me a “tree hugger.” You are also probably thinking, “How can I help the rainforests, I’m just a kid.” For one, “tree huggers” annoy me to no end, and we kids can help save the rainforests. I am just a normal teenager who wants the planet that he is living on, to last a long time. You don’t have to go extreme or plant a million trees. Simply telling your friends about what is happening, could end up saving the world’s rainforests. So go out, and spread the word!