The world today is lonely because it is scarcely populated. Food is hard to come by and cherished when you do. We are told stories of when the world’s food supply was plentiful but our ancestors took this blessing for granted and abused our rainforests. The abuse led to deforestation in forms of logging which caused natural disasters and large carbon dioxide production. These natural disasters destroyed our planet and left only a small amount of land compared to the amount we had before. It is sad to me because they did not realize what they had or how their actions were affecting our world’s future.

Deforestation is an increasing factor in natural disasters and global warming. Mining and illegal logging are examples of deforestation. The large trees that populate rainforests are a barrier for forceful winds that could potentially cause hurricanes and tornadoes. By cutting down these trees we are weakening the barrier created by them and causing natural disasters to be more frequent and forceful than earlier years. Global warming is commonly thought to be caused by burning gases and oil. This common thought is incorrect because “Deforestation accounts for about 18 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions-larger than the entire global transportation sector” (Lesnick, par. 1). Greenhouse gases are trace gases such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and methane that form a blanket over our atmosphere and trap solar energy. Greenhouse gases have a greater role in global warming than burning gases and oil. Hurricanes, tornadoes, and global warming can be devastating to the world’s economy and population. They could change what is now, a beautiful planet, into what will be, a man-influenced disaster.
Farmers are encouraged to plant trees to replenish the rainforests and absorb carbon dioxide. By planting trees to replenish the rainforests they are also providing themselves with income. Trees can withstand drought conditions when livestock and crops fail because they cannot withstand the same conditions. “Teach others about the importance of the environment and how they can help save rainforests, Restore damaged ecosystems by planting trees on land where forests have been cut down, Encourage people to live in a way that does not hurt the environment, Establish parks to protect rainforests and wildlife, and Support companies that operate in ways that minimize damage to the environment” (Butler, par. 1). Asking famers to plant trees is an example of “TREES.” “TREES” is a realistic solution rather than an idealistic solution. It is a way to establish a solution at many different angles, from the common civilians to large companies.
Developing a security system will prevent a portion of illegal logging by people who do not want to caught and charged with a crime. For those people who will continue logging, we can establish laws with harsher punishments. A security system could include trained volunteers who will patrol the area, camera systems that are not harmful to the environment, and a phone line where people residing in the area can call and report illegal logging. For volunteers to patrol they should meet specified requirements such as a form of security or police training and there should be a designated number of volunteers to a specific amount of acres or square miles. Cameras should be placed randomly throughout the rainforests in places likely to have loggers. The cameras should not interfere on the privacy and rights of people or other species inhabiting the area. Harsher punishments should be established to at least a conviction sentence to ensure that the loggers will not return and warn off any other potential loggers.

Deforestation is causing problems for our environment and our future. Natural disasters and global warming are threats that could potentially harm people and the world’s economy. These threats cannot be solved by one simple solution but possibly with a combination. If we replant trees in rainforests after they are cut down and establish a security system to better patrol the habitat then we are at least making an effort to save an important part of our world’s environment. Our society has already made this problem public through media and now it is our turn to do something about it.