Curious1
|
Yes, there is a reason why rainforests are being destroyed. Without a reason, no one would go to such effort. However, the reason is not really a good one. The reason is because more money can be made from the cleared land than from the forest. The rainforests are being cleared so the land can support one of several profitable ventures that cannot be carried out in an area full of trees.
Every year, an average of 35,000 square miles of rainforest is purposely destroyed worldwide. Nearly half of this is in Brazil alone. Along with all of the plant life being destroyed, many native animals lose their home. Consequences, however, are much greater and affect all of us on a global scale. The reason for the deforestation is to provide land for profitable endeavors, which include all of the following:
Timber – This is one of the leading causes of deforestation. The trees are being cut down by lumber companies who sell the wood to other countries to use in making new furniture. The wood that cannot be sold for lumber is either cut into wood chips for mulch or made into charcoal.
Cattle – A lot of the former rainforest land in South America is used to set up cattle ranches. Brazil and other South American countries provide a lot of cheap beef to North America, Russia and China. This is also becoming increasingly popular in Central America. Because the soil doesn’t support grasses for very long, many cattle ranchers keep clearing out more of the rainforest, leaving dry dead land where the forests once thrived.
Agriculture – Sometimes rainforest is cleared to grow popular crops for export. These crops include pineapple, sugar cane, bananas, coffee and tea. These farms usually only last a few years before all of the nutrients are leached from the ground, and the farmers clear out more rainforest to continue planting.
Mining – Some rainforests sit atop land rich in minerals, such as copper, gold, aluminum, oil and diamonds. The rainforest is cleared to get at the minerals below the surface.
 Posted 4559 day ago
|