Deforestation and the Elimination of Natural Habitats Essay

The more forests that are destroyed, the more harm that is brought upon every species in existence, including humanity. The worlds last rain forests are vanishing. Despite a determined international campaign waged for years by an array of conservation and government organizations, the irresistible forces of population growth and rural poverty are consuming the lush tropics as never before. Environmentalists predict that more than half of the Earths total species will be extinct by the middle of this century2. Global warming, holes in the ozone layer, rising water levels, erosion of top soil, degradation of air quality, and ultra violet rays from the sun are plaguing this planet like never before3. All of this is a direct†¦show more content†¦This is a truly compelling argument. The more forests that are destroyed, the more harm that is brought upon every species in existence, including humanity. If humanity is to survive, it has to slow its population growth, and more specifically slow the cutting down of forests and the ruining of Earth?s ecosystems. According to anti-deforestation activists, the destruction is so bad that a vast number of species will go extinct before they are ever found. This is extremely wasteful and impedes the advancement of humanity. Locked away in what?s left of the forests and jungles of the world could lay secrets and medicines that could potentially cure the majority of diseases and viruses that plague humanity today. Vaccines for AIDS and cures for xancer, to name a few, could very well rest with an undiscovered species on the brink of extinction; or even worse, the organisms that held the secret could have already been destroyed. Destruction of possible cures to the world?s ailments is only one of the many relevant issues regarding deforestation. Gone are the days of families enjoying endless hours at the beaches and parks of the world; they have been replaced by limited exposure to sunlight, and even during this period of exposure, a number of uncomfortable and bothersome defenses must be worn5. Water levels around the world are rising, as the polar icecaps threaten to melt and fears of losing vast amounts of landmass due to rising tides haunt predictions of the nearShow MoreRelatedDeforestation Is The Permanent Removal1714 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"More than 80% of Earth’s natural forests have already been destroyed at the rate of 20,000 hectares per day† according to the World Resources Institute (WRI). Despite our dependence on forests for our means of survival, from the provision of livelihoods for us human-beings, the prevention of soil erosion, medicines derived from rainforest plants, to the air we breathe, we are still allowing them to disappear at shockingly high rates through deforestation. 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