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Fast Facts about Deforestation
- Half the world’s tropical forests have been cleared or degraded. Every hour, at least 4,500 acres of forest fall to chain saws, machetes, flames, or bulldozers. Population growth, poverty, and unequal access to land are among the major causes of deforestation (Forestry Department Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations).
- The net loss of the world’s forests is estimated at 7.3 million hectares (18 million acres) per year (Forestry Department Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations).
- Worldwide, 1.6 billion people rely on forest products for all or part of their livelihoods (World Resources Institute and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations).
- More than half of the world's timber and 72% of paper is consumed by 22% of the world's population (the United States, Europe, and Japan). Worldwide, industrialized countries consume over twelve times more wood products per person than non-industrialized countries. The United States has less than 5% of the world's population yet consumes more than 30% of the world's paper (Rainforestweb.org).
- Fuelwood in Sub-Saharan Africa is consumed at a rate of 30-200% greater than the average annual grow of trees. This is causing a large deficit in timber resources and habitat for species (United Nations Environment Program).
- Trees provide an important ecosystem function by storing carbon, a cause of climate change, in their biomass (wood, leaves, and roots). Currently the world’s forests store 283 billion tons (equivalent to the size of 40.1 billion elephants) of carbon in their biomass (Forestry Department Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations).
Quick Actions to Prevent Deforestation
- Surf the web, save the rainforest
Every time you visit and click on The Rainforest Site, sponsors donate money to the Nature Conservancy’s “Adopt an Acre” program to purchase rainforest, protect it from development, and enable local people to continue to use the protected land in a productive, sustainable way. You can save up to 20 square feet of rainforest with each click!
- Reduce the amount of packaging you buy
Much paper and cardboard is used for unnecessary packaging. Products sold in large, mostly empty boxes with filler placed around them are contributing to the destruction of forests everywhere. When you shop, look for items in bulk which are typically a better choice than small packages or individual servings. Reuse paper or plastic shopping bags, or bring your own canvas bags. When you have a choice between products, pick the one with less packaging. When you see products with excessive packaging, email or write a letter to the producers asking them to consider less wasteful alternatives.
- Support companies that responsibly produce paper products
There are several companies that are dedicated to producing products with recycled and post-consumer products and without the use of harsh chemicals. The Natural Resources Defense Council has created a guide that can easily fold to fit in you wallet to identify responsible paper product companies.
- Plant trees!
Help restore forest health by planting native trees in your backyard or degraded areas. Several organizations including American Forests, Trees for the Future, Plant a Tree USA, Billion Tree Campaign and the Jewish National Fund use donations to plant trees in degraded areas.
- Reduce your beef consumption
U.S. fast food restaurants and processed beef products often use beef from cows raised in Central and South America on land cleared of rainforests to graze cattle. Deforestation of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil has been particularly severe, where many millions of hectares have been converted to pasture. Between 1990 and 2000 the region lost an area of forest twice the size of Portugal. Decreasing your consumption of beef will help reduce pressure to clear more forests for cattle (Center for International Forestry Research).
- Vote with your dollars – boycott destructive companies
Companies respond to what consumers want. You can send a message that you want the forests to be saved by boycotting products that cause unnecessary deforestation, buying products that protect forests, and writing to manufactures of these products to demand that they promote sustainable forestry practices. Read an example of a successful boycott.
- Spread the word
Learn more about forests through books, magazines, videos, and the Internet. Tell your friends about your deforestation concerns and let them know how they can get involved. Write an article or opinion piece for your local newspaper. Write or visit your elected officials to tell them you are concerned about deforestation. Find the email address and contact information for your elected officials. You can also connect with a group that works to protect forests, or start your own local group!
Want More Information?
- National Geographic
Learn about the causes and effects of deforestation, and what you can do to help.
- Rainforest Action Network (RAN)
RAN leads a number of education, grassroots organizing, and nonviolent direct action campaigns aimed at transforming U.S. reliance on oil and coal, protecting forests and indigenous rights, and stopping destructive investment practices around the world.
- Forests.org
This Internet search tool provides news, information, and analysis to help end deforestation, preserve primary and old-growth forests, conserve and sustainably manage other forests, conserve water and climatic systems, and advance a new age of ecological restoration.
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