Every year a rainforest area the size of Scotland, Wales and England is destroyed. The earths rainforests produce 20-30% of all oxygen. There are many ways we can help protect the forest. A loss of one tree species can have a knock on effect for other species that rely on it for their survival.
As consumers we should be mindful that nearly all things we buy or sometimes use has had an impact on the worlds rainforests either directly or indirectly.
Only 2% of rainforest has any form of protection.
- If buying any tropical plants dont be scared to ask if they come from the wild and how they have been raised.
- If buying anything wooden check the type of wood and where it comes from. Logging is a big threat to the rainforest. Woods like teak, ebony, mohogany are all likely to have come from primary rainforest. Wooden and paper products with the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) logo on them helps determine that the wood comes from sustainable forest management
- Try and buy local produce rather than from countries where slash and burn techniques are used to fell forest. Ask manufactorers of coffee, soya, vegetable oil, chocolate etc about the primary industry of their product.
- 10% of supermarket products contain palm oil, palm oil is the single biggest threat to South East Asian rainforest. Borneo has been so severly deforested that in large parts of Kalimantan injured/orphaned orangutans can not be re-released back into the wild due to lack of habitat. Palm oil is a very big contributor to climate change. Even though many perceive biofuels to be a better alternative to oil the effects on the rainforest and biodiversity are much worse than oil.
- Soy is one of the biggest threats to the South American rainforest. Vast areas of rainforest have been cleared for soy plantations. Soy is mainly sent to other countries as animal fodder. Soy is also used in our food products and our pet food including cat and dog food. Check your pet food and meat source to ensure that it has come from an ethical and sustainable source.
- Some perfumary products are taken dircetly from the rainforest., this includes woods such as Aquilaria malaccensis or gaharu/agarwood. Trees are felled to for the wood even though small plantations exist within South East Asia.
- Chinese herbal medicine has had a dramatic effect on many species such as the well documented rhinoceros and tiger. But many other plant and animal species are under threat from poaching and harvesting directly from forest.
Below are some media links about endangered Species, deforestation and palm oil.
Endangered Primates - Here
Sumatran animals and palm oil (an article from The Guardian) - Here
Is there a sustainable source for palm oil? - Here