Stopping Deforestation

It is said that for the past 13 years, 50 soccer field's worth of trees have been cut down every minute. Seeing the rate at which this problem is escalating, it cannot be denied that fully stopping deforestation is a daunting task. How can one person or small group stop a global problem? Like the solutions to many other widespread problems, it begins with making simple yet strategic changes to our lifestyles. By changing what products we buy, how we recycle, and even what we eat, we can help to reduce the problem of deforestation without ever having to leave the comfort of our own communities.

Who Holds the Power?

Large companies and corporations are undeniably the largest contributor to deforestation. Through mining and logging projects, they are the reason that deforestation is even a problem. However, this does not mean that a solution is out of our reach.

Consumers have more power than you might think. By selectively buying products that only use sustainable methods of production, companies will have to use these sustainable methods to sell their products. We as individuals control how our products our made, and how they are presented to us. This is key to remember when thinking about how you could make a change in how a company operates, whether that be for protecting the environment, or even just making a specific process more convenient.

The Forest Stewardship Council

The Forest Stewardship Council, or FSC, is a third party company that certifies various wood based products based on the sustainable efforts used to create them. They decide if a product, such as tissue paper or even furniture, was made in a way that does not contribute to deforestation. They decide if a product benefits the environment, which make's the consumer's job much easier.

However, that doesn't mean that we can just buy any product believing that it could only get there if it was environmentally safe. There are still many products on the shelves that are not certified by this company, and we need to be sure to avoid them. When buying a product that uses a wood-based material, make sure to look for the FSC logo, which is usually seen on the bottom or side of most packaging. An example of this logo on a product can be seen below (top right):

Planting a Tree and Recycling

As simple as it may seem, planting a tree, whether it be in your backyard or somewhere else, can really help to combat deforestation. If everyone planted just one tree, it would help immensely. They would absorb carbon in our atmosphere, provide homes and nutrients for nearby organisms, and help to decrease the number of trees lost every year.

Another obvious way to combat deforestation is to recycle any materials you can. Papers, cardboard, and plastic bottles or cans are all recyclable. If the materials taken from trees are re-used, there is less of a necessity for them to be cut down. Additionally, if you recycle your bottles at a nearby grocery store that has a recycling machine, you can even get money back for the bottles you recycled. Also, try to keep the amount of paper you use low. Instead of using two separate pieces of paper, try to use the front and back side of every sheet you use. Also, if possible, substitute the use of paper for something electronic. If you can eliminate the use of paper completely, it severely decreases the need for it to be produced. Save as much as you can, and try and encourage others to do so as well.

Going Vegetarian

While it may seem like a challenge, going vegetarian is actually a fairly easy and great way to preserve forests. Because of the growing demand of our population, more and more forests are being cut down and re-purposed to be used as farmland. The farmers need the extra space to raise more cattle, and make more meat for us to eat. However, if we were to go even partly vegetarian, it would stop the need for such expansive farm land, thus saving plenty of trees from being cut down. And, if you don't want to go vegetarian because you like the taste of meat too much, there are plenty of vegetarian alternatives that capture the flavor of the meat without any of the same ingredients. As an added bonus, by going vegetarian you will lead a healthier lifestyle, as you won't be ingesting any of the fats that are normally found in meats.

Conclusion

Again, as with many other topics, I cannot hope to include all the information you need to know. While I may cover more topics later, if you would like to learn more about how you can help stop deforestation today, please, please take a look at the links I have provided below. They all give great info. on how you can help, and this post would not have been possible without the information they provided. Thanks for reading.

All credit for information used in this post goes to:

http://www.mnn.com/family/family-activities/blogs/5-ways-to-stop-deforestation

http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/stories/website-tracks-deforestation-in-near-real-time

http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/forests/solutions-to-deforestation/

https://us.fsc.org/en-us/get-involved/responsible-consumption

https://ic.fsc.org/en/market-partners/trademark-support/how-to-use-fsc-trademarks

http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2016/0423/Could-vegetarians-save-the-world-s-forests

Images:

http://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/deforestation

http://www.picserver.org/c/corporation.html

http://ingoodcompany.fsc.org/about-fsc

http://ecological.panda.org/2014/09/16/process-behind-peace-mind/

http://www.drodd.com/html7/tree2.html

https://clipartfest.com/categories/view/252101230198870f37ff4a26484c19b802af0bc0/recycle-sign-clip-art.html

https://www.pinterest.com/alexca/vegetarian-vegan-101/