Trees have been cut down by humans since ancient times.
Why?
Well to build houses, furniture, and paper.
Trees are essential for humans to survive. The wood from trees are used for shelter, as fuel, and to provide necessities. Don't you think that as humans we take advantage of what keeps us breathing?
The threat of deforestation is brought by the following:
- Converting forests to agricultural land to feed the population
- Cash crops and cattle ranching, both of these earn money for tropical countries
- Commercial logging destroys trees as well as clearing land for agricultural usage
There are moments, however, that deforestation can happen as an accident. Natural disasters such as volcanic eruptions can wipe out the whole of the forest. Although there is still hope! Through the efforts of many environmentalists(i.e. Nature Seekers), reforestation and conservation efforts (i.e. Melajo Forest Reserve) have brought back our forests. This will result in bringing our environment back to it's beautiful, majestic state.
Today is World Environment Day and the United Nations’ theme in support of this is ‘Forests: Nature at Your Service’.
ReplyDeleteI’m happy to be a Trinbagonian reading this Blog. Do you know that we have had an official forest policy since 1942? We also have other public policies and plans such as the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) and the National Action Programme to Combat Land Degradation. We also have several active agencies such as the National Reforestation and Watershed Rehabilitation Programme, the Chaguaramas Development Authority, the Environmental Management Authority, and private entities such as Asa Wright Nature Centre.
All of the above become ‘efforts in vain’ if we do not become activists for our natural surroundings. Every small environmental action we take on a daily basis affects the lives and wellbeing of all those around us. “Although individual decisions may seem small in the face of global threats and trends, when billions of people join forces in common purpose, we can make a tremendous difference.” (UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, Sunday Guardian, June 5, 2011)
Let’s be serious about things for a change, and not wait until ‘we have time’. After all, we love ‘wild meat’, river limes and shark & bake at Maracas…..These will all disappear if we don’t treasure and protect our forests, wetlands, oceans and overall environment of T&T. SP Going Green