Trees are one of the most important aspects of the planet we live in.

Trees are vitally important to the environment, animals, and of course for us humans. They are important for the climate of the Earth, they act as filters of carbon dioxide, they are habitats and shelters to millions of species, and they are also important for their aesthetic appeal. However, the trees on our planet are being depleted at a very fast rate. According to some estimates, more than 50 percent of the tree cover has disappeared due to human activity. Although humans have been practicing deforestation since ages, it was in the mid-1800s that forests began to be destroyed at an unprecedented rate. As a matter of fact, throughout the earlier part of the medieval age, Europeans used to live amongst vast areas of forested land. But later, they began deforestation at such a high rate that they started to run out of wood for cooking and heating. Also, due to the depletion of their natural habitat, wild game too began disappearing, which the Europeans largely depended upon for their nutritional requirements. Today, parallels can clearly be observed in the deforestation that is occurring in most developing countries. One of the most worrying factors today is the massive destruction of the rainforests of the world, which is affecting the biodiversity adversely, as well as being one of the major contributory factors of the Holocene mass extinction that is ongoing. What are the Causes of Deforestation? The destruction of the forests is occurring due to various reasons, one of the main reasons being the short term economic benefits. Given below are some more common causes of deforestation: Used for Urban and Construction Purposes: The cutting down of trees for lumber that is used for building materials, furniture, and paper products. Forests are also cleared in order to accommodate expanding urban areas. To Grow Crops: Forests are also cut down in order to clear land for growing crops. To Create Grazing Land: Forests are cut down in order create land for grazing cattle. Used for Fuel: Trees are cut down in developing countries to be used as firewood or turned into charcoal, which are used for cooking and heating purposes. Some of the other causes of deforestation are: clearing forests for oil and mining exploitation; to make highways and roads; slash and burn farming techniques; wildfires; and acid rain. What are the Effects of Deforestation? There are a number of adverse effects of deforestation, such as: Erosion of Soil: When forest areas are cleared, it results in exposing the soil to the sun, making it very dry and eventually, infertile, due to volatile nutrients such as nitrogen being lost. In addition, when there is rainfall, it washes away the rest of the nutrients, which flow with the rainwater into waterways. Because of this, merely replanting trees may not help in solving the problems caused by deforestation, for by the time the trees mature, the soil will be totally devoid of essential nutrients. Ultimately, cultivation in this land will also become impossible, resulting in the land becoming useless. Large tracts of land will be rendered permanently impoverished due to soil erosion. Disruption of the Water Cycle: Trees contribute in a large way in maintaining the water cycle. They draw up water via their roots, which is then released into the atmosphere. A large part of the water that circulates in the ecosystem of rainforests, for instance, remains inside the plants. When these trees are cut down it results in the climate getting drier in that area. Loss of Biodiversity: The unique biodiversity of various geographical areas is being lost on a scale that is quite unprecedented. Even though tropical rainforests make up just 6 percent of the surface area of the Earth, about 80-90 percent of the entire species of the world exist here. Due to massive deforestation, about 50 to 100 species of animals are being lost each day. The outcome of which is the extinction of animals and plants on a massive scale. Flooding and Drought: One of the vital functions of forests is to absorb and store great amounts of water quickly when there are heavy rains. When forests are cut down, this regulation of the flow of water is disrupted, which leads to alternating periods of flood and then drought in the affected area. Climate Change: It is well known that global warming is being caused largely due to emissions of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. However, what is not known quite as well is that deforestation has a direction

association with carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. Trees act as a major storage depot for carbon, since they absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which is then used to produce carbohydrates, fats, and proteins that make up trees. When deforestation occurs, many of the trees are burnt or they are allowed to rot, which results in releasing the carbon that is stored in them as carbon dioxide. This, in turn, leads to greater concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. http://www.buzzle.com/articles/causes-and-effects-of-deforestation.html

Causes of Deforestation
Imagine the future if the rate of deforestation occurs at a rate of just 15 hectares annually? At that rate in just 30 to 40 years the worlds forests will have been turned into arid barren wasteland useless for any purpose. Climate change would increase dramatically and many millions of species, possibly us included would be extinct. Bleak, yet that is the reality of what we are facing unless we take action to put a stop to it now. This is possible but it will require a massive effort from the public and consumers to pressure the government and those responsible to achieve a halt to the reduction in shrinking of our forests. The challenge is huge but not by any means insurmountable we have the answers we just need to make sure they are put into practice to stop deforestation. The Top Five Causes of Deforestation There are many different causes for deforestation and they vary widely from location to location. The top 5 include logging (both legal and illegal), industrialization, agriculture, oil exploitation and human disasters. All can be tackled but it is unlikely we will ever get rid of deforestation

altogether but as long as we replace what is lost and manage the vast majority of forests sustainably we can solve the problem and prevent forests shrinking further and perhaps even allow areas to be planted in order to bring back what has already been lost. Well-managed woodlands can actually grow whilst supplying timber on a commercially viable scale. Forest fires can be started naturally or deliberately and are becoming more common as temperatures rise. Large areas can go up in flames very quickly threatening not only forests but also crops and homes nearby. Education may help in teaching people not to start fires in vulnerable areas and forest fire fighting equipment and expertise will help to put out these fires quickly and reduce the amount of damage. Many areas recover quickly from fire as seeds and some plants and animals have natural defense mechanisms that protect them during fires. This recovery can be aided by replanting and leaving the areas surrounding untouched allowing the plants and animal to recover and recolonize. Illegal logging is difficult to tackle yet governments need to have legislation and effective means of enforcing that legislation in order to protect their forests and natural resources. In countries that are struggling with these issues outside help and cooperation maybe needed if possible. Legal logging need to be tightly monitored to ensure it is done in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way as possible ensuring that workers and those who protect the forests are paid a decent wage. Money can also be raised through tourism to these beautiful and diverse places. Again the right legislation and enforcement is required, though this is difficult to achieve in some places it should be worked towards if possible. Ideally a balance will be struck between supplying what is needed and protecting the habitat for wildlife. This is possible through sustainable management and replanting programs. The need of land for agriculture, industrial and living purposes is an ever-increasing pressure on wild areas and forests and a major contributor to deforestation. This is one issue that is not easily resolved. Again a balance needs to be struck between the need to have and preserve a certain amount of forested land and development. Ultimately we have to accept that the planet can only support and physically have room for a certain number of people and the expansion in our numbers cannot and will not go on forever. Can deforestation be stopped? The answer to this rests with us, it is this generation at the eleventh hour who have the knowledge and ability to act. If we leave it to the next generation it will simply be to late and the forests wont be there to save. There are many differing groups that will have to work together to achieve an end to deforestation environmental and conservation groups, governments,

consumers, corporations as well as those who actually work in the forests. We need each and every one of us to take a stand and do our bit.
http://www.effects-of-deforestation.com/causes-of-deforestation.php

Modern-Day Plague Deforestation is clearing Earth's forests on a massive scale, often resulting in damage to the quality of the land. Forests still cover about 30 percent of the worlds land area, but swaths the size of Panama are lost each and every year. The worlds rain forests could completely vanish in a hundred years at the current rate of deforestation. Forests are cut down for many reasons, but most of them are related to money or to peoples need to provide for their families.The biggest driver of deforestation is agriculture. Farmers cut forests to provide more room for planting crops or grazing livestock. Often many small farmers will each clear a few acres to feed their families by cutting down trees and burning them in a process known as slash and burn agriculture. Logging operations, which provide the worlds wood and paper products, also cut countless trees each year. Loggers, some of them acting illegally, also build roads to access more and more remote forestswhich leads to further deforestation. Forests are also cut as a result of growing urban sprawl. Not all deforestation is intentional. Some is caused by a combination of human and natural factors like wildfires and subsequent overgrazing, which may prevent the growth of young trees. http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/deforestationoverview.html

Deforestation rate in Pakistan highest in world

/ISLAMABAD (December 04 2007): Deforestation rate in Pakistan, estimated at 0.2 per cent to 0.5 per cent annually, is the highest in the world, which accounts for a 4-6 per cent decline in its wood biomass per annum. The total natural forest cover has reduced from 3.59 million hectares to 3.32 million hectares at an average rate of 27,000 hectares annually. The decline in natural forests is attributed greatly to the dependence of a major proportion of rural population for fuel and construction on wood. The natural resource is decreasing at such an alarming speed that all the forest area will be consumed within the next 15 years. Three sectors consume wood in Pakistan ie domestic rural use, industrial sector and commercial establishments. In this regard, the household sector has emerged as the largest consumer with 81.8 percent followed by industrial entrepreneurs 14.9 percent and the commercial sector 3.3 percent. The annual wood consumption in Pakistan is 43.761 million meters against the annual forest growth of 14.4 million cubic meters. So, it has to suffer a loss of 29.361million cubic meters per annum. The unchecked cutting of trees has resulted in rapid deforestation and now the forest cover is less than 5 per cent. With one of the highest rates of deforestation in the world, Pakistan's forests are in urgent need of protection and conservation. The major threat to Pakistan 's forests is uncontrolled and unsustainable cutting for living purposes and timber products. There is dire need to find out alternate and sustainable livelihood methods to ease pressures on this precious natural resource.

http://www.pakissan.com/english/news/newsDetail.php?newsid=15697

http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/how-to-stop-deforestation-2855.html How to Stop Deforestation

Raise awareness about the potential hazards that will accrue if deforestation continues unabated. Whenever in a group, Send e-mails to your friends and acquaintances, telling them about the practice of deforestation and its harmful effects.
Ask them to forward it to others, to make everyone aware of the problem. converse on this topic and let people know.

Make placards saying Plant More Trees, Do Not Waste Paper, Stop Cutting Trees, and the like. Try to get them placed
at venues like the neighboring community, schools, colleges, restaurants, etc.

Do not waste paper at all. Instead, try to recycle paper as much as you can. Try to imbibe the same sense in those around Plant as many trees as possible. You can enlist the help of those around you and plant trees in the public places, like Make notes against deforestation and stick them on your desk in the office or pin it on the notice board in your school. If possible, try to arrange conferences and meeting to enlist support, of even strangers, for the cause. You can also get a Try to convince the local counselor to introduce the idea of implementing legislations in parliament, which would prevent
the continued practice of deforestation. local celebrity to tell people why and how to stop deforestation. This way, you will make people realize how important it is to stop deforestation. parks, gardens, play areas, etc. If possible, plant some of them in your house too. you, including your parents, children, siblings, friends, and so on.

Introduction

Environmental issues effect every life on this planet from the smallest parasite to the human race. The reason for this is simple. A single disruption in the Earths delicate balance can mean certain destruction of the very place that cradles the lives of many species. What is not so simple is finding alternatives to the now dangerous and confronting acts of planet degradation that have been afflicted on the planet over recent years. One such issue that requires consideration is deforestation. Trees have been or are being cut down at increasingly high rates. If this is not stopped many unfavorable side effects could result. Why Trees Matter
To understand why deforestation is such a pressing and urgent issue, forests must first be given credit for what they bring to global ecosystems and the quality of life that all species maintain. Tropical Rainforests presently give a place to call home for 50% - 90% of all organisms, 90% of our relatives, the primates, and 50 million creatures that can live no place but the rich rainforests (World Rainforest Movement 16). Not only are other species at risk, but the human race also benefits from what the trees give. From something as minor as the spices that indulge food to life giving medicines, the rainforests

amplify and save lives. According to the World Rainforest Movement, 25% of medicines come from the forests (28). This is a number that does not do justice to all the cures that have yet to be discovered or that have been destroyed. The forests give life, not only to other species, but they help to prolong the human race. The forests have global implications not just on life but on the quality of it. Trees improve the quality of the air that species breath by trapping carbon and other particles produced by pollution. Trees determine rainfall and replenish the atmosphere. As more water gets put back in the atmosphere, clouds form and provide another way to block out the suns heat. Trees are what cool and regulates the earths climate in conjunction with other such valuable services as preventing erosion, landslides, and making the most infertile soil rich with life. Mother earth has given much responsibility to trees.

This map shows where deforestation is at its peak in the world with so much focus on the Amazon Region it is also best to know that some places in Europe, Asia, and Mexico also contribute.

Source: http://www.igc.apc.org/wri/wr-96-97/lc_f3.gif

Population Growth an Deforestation So this leads into a very confusing question of the 20th century. Why are these trees being torn down? The World Wide Forest Report found that when the Roman Empire was in control of Europe 90% of the continent was forested. Today 500,000 hectors vanish in a single week ("Logging is the Major Cause of Global Deforestation" 1). There is no one easy answer as there are many causes at the root of deforestation. One is overpopulation in cities and developing countries. Population is continually growing in the third world. Some had land until increases in population forced them off it and they became landless peasants that are forced to look for land in the untouched forests. This movement to the forests is in some ways a result of government pressures. In place of implementing programs to help the poor these governments concentrate on

the cheapest, easiest, way to keep poverty out of sight and give the poor no other choice but to force other species out and themselves in. According to Norman Myers, bad land tenure, a shortage of modern agricultural tools, and government neglect of subsistence farmers have put an influx of human interference in the forests. (37) The poor are pushed in further and further and destroy more every time they must move on.
What the poor do in the forests is the most devastating. In attempts to settle farmland, the poor become "shifted cultivators" and resort to using slash and burn methods of tree removal. Slashing and burning involves what its name implies, trees are cut down and the remains are burned. The ash is used as a fertilizer and the land is then used for farming or cattle grazing, however, the soil that is cleared in slash and burn is left infertile, the nutrients in the soil are quickly absorbed by surrounding organisms ("Deforestation" 1). The farmers must move on sometimes to other areas and repeat this process and worthy land and trees become scarce. For farmers in places like Brazil, slash and burn methods are the only way to effectively clear land of parasites and unwanted organisms; chemical means contaminate water and soil and farmers continue to turn to slashing and burning ("Slash and Burn Agriculture" 1). It has become so much a dilemma that a leading researcher, Myers, sees it of all the causes of deforestation, to be the number one cause (Myers 32).

Logging and Deforestation The small farmer plays a big role, but it is modern industry that too cuts down the trees. The logging industry is fueled by the need for disposable products. 11 million acres a year are cut for commercial and property industries (Entity Mission 1). Peter Heller found that McDonalds needs 800 square miles of trees to make the amount of paper they need for a years supply of packaging, Entity Mission found that British Columbia manufactures 7, 500,000 pairs of chopsticks a day, and the demand for fuel wood is so high that predictions say that there will be a shortage by the year 2000. Logging does too have its repercussions. The logging industry not only tries to accomplish all this but it even indirectly helps the "shifted cultivators" and others to do more damage. The roads that the loggers build to access the forests and generate hydroelectric power create an easy way for many people to try to manipulate the forest resources. The amount of damage that this adds to the forests can not be measured nor can that of the illegal logging. Some importers may even be buying illegally logged wood and not even have known it ("Logging is the Major Cause of Global Deforestation New WWF Report" 2). Cattle Grazing and Deforestation Another of the more devastating forces behind deforestation is cattle grazing. With the international growth of fast food chains this seems to be an evident factor in the clearing of trees today. Large corporations looking to buy beef for hamburger and even pet food seek cheap prices and are finding them with the growth of cattle grazing (Heller 3). In the Amazon region of South America alone there are 100,000 beef ranchers (Heller 3). As the burger giants of industrialized

society are making high demands for more beef, more forests are being torn down. Statistics from less than a decade ago, 1989, indicate that 15,000 km squared of forests are used expressly for the purpose of cattle grazing (Myers 32). Once the trees are gone the land is often overgrazed. In some places the government wants this to happen. Cattle grazing is big profit that cant be turned down. Other Causes Beyond the major causes of deforestation lie some supplementary ones that too stack the odds against forests around the globe. Acid rain and the building of dams have their share of harmful effects. The race to produce cash crops such as fruit, spices, sugar tobacco, soap, rubber, paper, and cloth has given cause to many to try to farm them by using soil and other products that can be retrieved by destroying the forests. Even those in industrialized countries may participate in the destruction of forests in the 3rd world. The need for products in industrialized countries drives production in other poorer, less developed countries. This production is at the cost of the trees and the services that they provide.

In addition to deforestation around the globe, the most significant source of forest around the world is disappearing in every country where they are located.

Source: http://www.igc.apc.org/wri/wr-96-97/lc_f4.gif

The Effects Deforestation presents multiple societal and environmental problems. The immediate and longterm consequences of global deforestation are almost certain to jeopardize life on Earth, as we

know it. Some of these consequences include: loss of biodiversity; the destruction of forestbased-societies; and climatic disruption. What is Lost Deforestation is causing a loss of biological diversity on an unprecedented scale. Although tropical forests cover only six percent of Earths land surface, they happen to contain between 70% and 90% of all of the worlds species (Myers, 12). As a result of deforestation, we are losing between 50 and 100 animal and plant species each day (Myers 12). Inevitably, the loss of species entails a loss of genetic resources. Many of these species now facing the possibility of extinction are of enormous potential to humans in many areas; especially medicine. As of 1991, over 25% of the worlds pharmaceutical products were derived from tropical plants (Myers). By contributing to the extinction of multiple species of plants and animals, we might be destroying the cures for many of the diseases that plague the human race today. The worlds forests, particularly tropical rainforests, are home to over 10 million members of the "last surviving intimately resource-based cultures" (GFF 3). Given the importance of forest products to the daily lives of forest peoples, the destruction of tropical forests entails the destruction of tribal populations as a whole. Aboriginal people world-wide have had their land literally stolen from them by governments and industries, whose intent is to turn "natural capital into hard currency" (Dudley 11). As the Global Futures Foundation states, "there have been more extinctions of tribal peoples in this century than any otherEven in the rare cases when forest dwellers are compensated for this loss, the changes visited upon their cultures by the inexorable expansion of industrial culture are devastating." Without a doubt, deforestation has had a profound effect on cultural diversity throughout the forest regions, and ultimately, the world. Erosion The lushness of the worlds tropical forests is somewhat deceptive. Although these forests assume to be lush and full, the underlying soils are very poor, almost all the nutrients being bound up in the vegetation. The problem is that once forests have been cut down, essential nutrients are washed out of the soil all-together. This leads to soil erosion. As of now, about 80% of the soils in the humid tropics are acidic and infertile (Dudley 21). When there are no trees to keep the soil in place, the soil becomes ripe for erosion. It dries and cracks under the suns heat. Once the soil temperature exceeds 25 degrees centigrade, volatile nutrient ingredients like nitrogen can be lost, further reducing the fertility of the remaining soil (Myers 14). Furthermore, rainfall washes remaining nutrients into rivers. This means that replanting trees will not necessarily help to solve the problems of deforestation; by the time the trees have matured, the soil might be completely stripped of essential nutrients. Eventually, cultivation in the forest regions will be impossible, and the land will be useless. The soil erosion will lead to permanent impoverishment of huge land areas.

The social impact of soil erosion can be quite severe. Those who settle into the forest regions are forced to move every year or so due to soil erosion. They find areas where they can cultivate. When those areas are no longer good for growing, they move to another region.

Erosion washes away valuable minerals. This process could be controlled if the rate of deforestation is reduced.

Source: http://www.teleport.com/~sunybod/images/erosion.gif

Flooding Flooding is a quite serious consequence of deforestation. Clearing the forest dramatically increases the surface run-off from rainfall, mainly because a greater proportion of the rain reaches the ground due to a lack of vegetation which would suck up the excess rainfall. "Tropical forests can receive as much rain in an hour as London would expect in a wet month, and a single storm has been measured as removing 185 tonnes of topsoil per hectare" (Dudley 21). In tropical regions where the forests are dense, flooding is not as serious a problem because there is

vegetation to absorb the rainfall. It is in areas where there is little vegetation that there is a problem. Hence, to avoid the disastrous effects of flooding, tropical forests need to remain dense and lush. Climate Change Although all consequences of deforestation are potentially serious, perhaps the most serious consequence is that of climate change due to the loss of trees. Earth has an atmosphere which contains a variety of gases, all in a delicate balance, to ensure life on Earth. One of these gases in Earths atmosphere is carbon dioxide; a gas which helps moderate heat loss to outer space. Insulating gases such as carbon dioxide are called "greenhouse gasses because their function is much like that of the glass in a greenhouse: they allow solar heat into the system, but discourage its escape" (GFF 3). Other greenhouse gases include methane, chlorofluorocarbons, nitrous oxide, and ozone. If there are additional greenhouse gases, there will be a gradual increase in temperature on Earths surface. This could lead to changes in weather patterns, sea levels, and other cycles in nature that directly affect life on Earth (GFF 3). The process of greenhouse gas increase is quite simple. Carbon dioxide levels increase for a number of reasons; but one of the main factors contributing to the increase of carbon levels is decay of woody material. The only way to help moderate the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is through plant life. Alive plants and trees absorb the carbon dioxide from decaying plants and trees. With a decrease in trees and plant life (due to deforestation) it is much harder to moderate these levels. Ultimately, the amount of carbon will increase due to a lack of plant life present to keep the carbon dioxide levels in check. This whole process leads to an "albedo effect which reflects more heat and light back into the atmosphere than would be the case if the sun shone on green trees" (Dudley 23). The bottom line is that the increase in the carbon level and other greenhouse gas levels into the atmosphere leads to an increase in temperature, and eventually a change in climate and weather.

The effects of deforestation are widely ranging and can be irreversible if not stopped.

Source: http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/8126/deforfin.jpg

Discussion We as human beings may not understand the severity of the possible consequences that deforestation poses. Since deforestation has had no severe effect on us yet, we ignore the problem. Everywhere you go, you see pieces of paper on the ground, people using multiple tissues to wipe their noses, and countless people pulling excessive amounts of brown paper out of the paper towel dispensers in lavatories. These are just few of the sources of paper that we use each day, without any thought whatsoever. What we must realize is that the paper products we use daily could have been a part of a forest which functioned to enrich and hold soil, absorb carbon dioxide, collect and recycle water, release oxygen, and regulate climate. Some companies do plant trees to produce the kinds of the products needed by industry to spare the older forests but many do not. By wasting paper products, we are wasting forests. The simple fact is that the more paper we use, the more forests need to be cut down to serve our paper needs. Many people might not consider the possible consequences of deforestation serious. They might say, "What if: a few people lose their homes; we experience a little flooding here and there; the temperature rises a little bit; we miss out on a few new medicines; we kill off a few species

which we never knew existed in the first place; the soil loses its nutrients." Ignorant people like these do not realize the severity of these consequences. By destroying peoples homes, we are cheating ourselves out of having a more diverse world. Flooding will cause billions upon billions of dollars in repairs; and those repairs will most likely be done by the good old U.S., with our tax dollars. If the temperature rises a bit, this will throw mother nature totally off course. It will affect farming, the tourism industry, travel, sea levels, and much more. If what Myers found is correct and 25% of medicines come form the rain forests, then there is a big change that with modern technologies that many more could be found. Without knowing what is being destroyed, we might not be missing out on just a few new medicines. We might be killing our chances of finding the cures for diseases such as Cancer, Aids, Multiple Sclerosis, or a multitude of others. And if by chance we lose all of the nutrients in the soil because of soil erosion, cultivation will be next to impossible. After thinking about these consequences, try convincing anyone that the ramifications of deforestation will not prove to be quite disastrous. Forests were put on Earth for a reason; they help to maintain a delicate balance between all of natures elements. By destroying forests through ranching, logging, farming, industrial practice, etc., we are putting this delicate balance in jeopardy. There is no cure for deforestation. Sure, many people talk of reforestation; however that is just not a true solution. Although replanting the forests that have been destroyed seems like a good idea, it actually does no good. Often times the new trees are not the same species as the originals. Also, by the time the trees grow and mature, the soil has already lost much of the nutrients it once had. Old forests and new forests are not the same and it is the old forest that need to be protected. The only way to ensure that we will not encounter any of the consequences of deforestation is to stop destroying the forests all together. We would have to stop cutting down all trees, no matter what our needs were. Since this is totally impractical as of now, the only thing we can do is use forest products in moderation. However this idea of moderation needs to be put into practice immediately. We as people should take care of this problem before it gets to the point where we can no longer fix it. Instead of putting the problem on the back burner until we can no longer ignore it, how about we remedy it now so it never threatens us to begin with. The sad fact is that once the forests are gone, we wont be able to fix the damage which we have caused. Conclusion So where can we go from here? There is no one easy solution as deforestation is caused by many things. One option is decreasing the need for the amount of products that are harvested from the rainforests. If all countries, especially developed ones, enforced programs that used recycling, the need for disposable products would be diminished and the loggers would not have a business. If the demand is cut off, there is no need for the supply. Other solutions involve money. One that could help to alleviate deforestation is providing aide to foreign countries so they give homes to those who are at high risk of becoming "shifted cultivators". The trick is convincing tax payers to

reach into their pockets. Another would be to appeal to the American public to settle for higher prices on the cash crops that are imported to this country for cheap prices especially that burger at the local fast food joint. If Americans are willing to pay more, corperations such as those in the fast food industry can stop petitioning other countries to farm the rainforests for the manufacture of the materials they need to make their products. The immediate effects of deforestation may not yet be felt, but if this generation doesnt feel it the next generation and their children will be the ones to suffer. It is the actions of the human race that can make or break the future of the planet. In the end everyone loses unless a solution can be reached. This is easier said than done but the choices that lie ahead on this matter carry severe consequences that will forever change they way that all things live if they are able to live at all.
www.umich.edu/~gs265/society/deforestation.htm