Ema Miele
The Amazon rain forest is the largest rain forest in the world covering an estimated 2.6 million square miles of land. It provides fresh water, helps stabilize climates, and supplies 20% of the world’s oxygen. The Amazon has been under threat from rising deforestation since the 1960s due to cattle ranching and soybean farming. The deforestation of the Amazon rain forest has affected climate change, the extinction rates of species, and the spread of diseases.
Overall, the deforestation of the Amazon has impacted climate change immensely. Due to the 47 million hectares of deforestation in the past 10 years, the Amazon is now releasing more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than it is able to absorb. These emissions are building up to over a billion tons per year. Most of these emissions are from fires caused by farmers hoping to clear land for soy production for animals. The fires are contributing to greenhouse gasses making hotter seasons in the Amazon, which lead to carbon dioxide pollution. Another example of the deforestation of the Amazon impacting climate is the recent change of rain patterns in the Amazon. There is an increased amount of floods and storms leading to the loss of habitats for animals, destruction of land, and soil erosion. Tree root systems help prevent soil erosion and malnourishment, but because of deforestation, all those factors get swept away. These reasons are only two of the numerous ways deforestation is playing a role in climate change.
Secondly, deforestation has affected the extinction rates of animals. First, consider the toucan, which has been an endangered species since 1969. Due to deforestation, toucans have suffered a significant amount of habitat loss that rises yearly. They live mostly in rain forest canopies which are located in the upper layer of tall, fully grown trees. Before the rise of deforestation in the Amazon, there was an estimated amount of 50,000 toucans; now there are only around 5,000-7,000 toucans left. Another species affected by deforestation is the monarch butterfly. These butterflies have been called an endangered species since the 1990s. Due to the increase in greenhouse gasses, the Earth has developed an overall temperature increase. These increasing temperatures make it difficult for these butterflies to survive throughout their whole hibernation season in the winter. In total, there has been an increase of almost 3° Fahrenheit in the past three decades making these butterflies struggle to survive. Since the 1990s, there has been an overall 85% decrease in the number of monarch butterflies. These are just a few of the many species that have been named endangered by deforestation.
Lastly, deforestation has greatly affected the potential for insect to human transmitted diseases. As the Amazon slowly gets destroyed, insects with a multitude of diseases get into closer contact with humans; birds are also becoming endangered due to climate change, because of this insects aren’t getting preyed on as often leading to a growth in diseases. These insect borne diseases can then be transmitted to humans, which could result in pandemics and new sicknesses. One deadly disease that could worsen because of deforestation is malaria. First of all, the mosquitoes that carry malaria thrive in the heat and become more active as the temperature rises. These mosquitoes are more likely to bite humans as more individuals go into the rain forest to cut, burn, or work on their soybean crops. Scientists have found out that for every 10% increase in deforestation, a 3.3% increase in malaria occurs. Another illness that can rise due to deforestation is Lyme disease; this comes from ticks, but they can latch on to several animals. As different species of wildlife lose their homes, they move into more concentrated areas and come into contact with humans more often. If left untreated Lyme can be a painful and hard illness for humans to get rid of. This disease has had an estimated increase of 35% in the past two decades. Out of the varying illnesses that can be caught from deforestation, these are the primary few.
The deforestation of the Amazon rain forest has affected climate change, the extinction rates of species, and spread of diseases. As climate change rises, these effects are becoming worse yearly. Although the Amazon is located in Brazil, its deforestation affects the Lehigh Valley greatly. It has caused a growth in greenhouse gasses making weather increase, a loss of resources such as avocados, and a risk of floods. Despite the fact that the Amazon is far away from us, we can actually help!
First, let your voice be heard and spread awareness. Numerous people do not know about the condition of the Amazon right now.
Second, become a discerning consumer! Be aware if your furniture is made from the Amazon’s wood and if the wood was sustainably harvested. Lastly, reduce your use of fossil fuels by riding your bike instead of driving a car, or simply turning off a light in your house when it’s not being used. The Amazon rain forest has experienced extensive damage, but people here in the Lehigh Valley can help make a change.
Ema Miele is a high school student at Moravian Academy, interested in chemistry and environmental science. She is passionate about making the world more sustainable, and hopes to pursue this career path later on.
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