Protect Our Forests

Facts

  • Over some 8000 years we have destroyed some 50% of the Earth’s forests
  • In the last 20 years we have converted some 10 million acres of forests to suburbs in the US
  • Worldwide some 40 million acres of forests disappear each year
  • Some 12 billion magazines are printed annually in the US – which requires > 35 million trees only 5% of magazine paper has any post-consumer recycled content
  • Each year 27 million acres of tropical rainforest are destroyed: or 74,000 acres per day.
  • Rainforests make up 2% on the Earth’s surface but > 50% of the world’s plant, animal, insects live there.
  • 80% of the Amazonian deforestation has taken place since 1980.
  • 25% of pharmaceutical products contain essential ingredients from the rainforests.
  • 70% of the plants identified as useful in cancer treatment are found in the rainforests.
  • the amount of wood and paper we throw away each year is enough to heat 50 million homes for 20 years.
  • Americans throw away enough office and writing paper to build a wall 12 feet high from LA to New York.
  • Since 1950, over half of the world’s tropical forests have been lost – an area equal to the size of a football field is destroyed every second of every day.
  • It takes one 15 – 20 year old tree to make enough paper for 700 grocery bags.
  • In 1995 US grocery stores used 10 billion paper bags.

What can we do?

  • re-use the paper we have
  • recycle the paper you cannot re-use
  • buy recycled paper products
  • avoid using rare tropical woods or wood from old growth trees.
  • use recycled wood where possible
  • use composite materials in stead of wood
  • buy wood products certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
  • volunteer for tree planting projects
  • bring your own (cloth) shopping bag
  • clean with cloth instead of paper towels
  • buy fair trade products (to provide an economic alternative to people living in or near rainforests)

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News Story From Alaine Christian
Thursday, March 11, 2010 10:29:00 AM