At one point the rainforest covered
nearly 14% of the Earth, but the rainforest covers
a mere 6% of our
planet. Every second one-half acre of rainforest is lost.
Rainforests
are home to various
animals and organisms, with rapid deforestation these animals
and organisms are
threatened. It is estimated that 137 species of plants, animals
and insects every day
due to rainforest deforestation. At that rate, in one year
approximately
50,000 species will be lost. As well as being home to animals and
organisms, the
rainforest is also home to plants that yield cures for diseases.
At the
time, 121 prescription
drugs come from plants that live in the rainforest. As
rainforest deforestation
continues, these plants will soon disappear eliminating the
possibility for new
cures. Aside from animals and plants that live in the
rainforests, there
are natives that inhabit
the land. Five centuries ago, there was an estimated ten
million natives living
in the rainforest, currently there are less 200,000. Rainforest
deforestation is a
global problem that effects industrial and developing countries.
The
rainforests are
environmental treasures and must be protected.
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