In the past 50 years much of the rainforest in Africa and Asia has been destroyed. Large
areas of rainforest are being cut down, often in order to remove just a few logs, and rainforest is being destroyed at double the rate of all previous estimates. Unfortunately this means that there is a very high rate of extinction, as the wildlife depending on the forest dies with it.
What can you do to help save the rainforest?
Use less paper to help save the rainforest! Paper is made from trees. If you use less paper, fewer trees will be cut down. Using less paper is easy.
Use less gasoline and plastic. Gasoline and plastic are two things that are made from oil. Instead of using gasoline to drive somewhere in a car, ride your bike, walk, carpool, or take the bus whenever possible.
Instead of buying plastic, choose glass containers whenever possible. Reuse the plastic containers and bottles that you already have. If you have a plastic water bottle, do not throw it out and buy a new one. Instead, clean it and refill it again and again.
Eat less red meat. One big reason rainforests are being destroyed is for beef. Millions of acres of rainforest are cut down and burned. The land is set on fire in order to get rid of the trees. The cleared land is then turned into grass pastures for cows. Many fast-food hamburgers in our country are made from beef that comes from burned out rainforests!
