 Image from http://www.rainforestweb.org/ |
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| The Destruction of the Amazon Rainforest: | |
| The Amazon Rainforest, located in South America, is home to over one-third of the world's animal population. It spans over 2.5 million square miles and is located in parts of Brazil, Columbia, Guyana, Suriname, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, French Guiana, and Venezuela. Twenty percent of the world's oxygen is produced by the Amazon Rainforest. Many foods are grown there like avocados, coconuts, figs, oranges, lemons, grapefuits, bananas, guavas, pinapples, mangos and tomatoes; vegetables including corn, potatoes, rice, winter squash, yams, spices like black pepper, cayenne, chocolate, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, sugar cane, tumeric, coffee, vanilla and nuts including Brazil nuts and cashews. If the Amazon Rainforest were destroyed, we would lose all of the things listed above and many more. Some of the things destroying the Amazon Rainforest are expansion of agriculture, exploitation of wood, gold mining, and the building of a hydroelectric power station. Over 7,600 square feet of the rainforest are being destroyed each year by Brazil which results in a total of over 200,000 square miles destroyed already. | |
| Efforts to Conserve The Amazon Rainforest: | |
| Current events to conserve the Amazon Rainforest have been made by Brazil's governer, Jorge Viana. He is making efforts to save at least twenty five percent of the rainforest if not more. So far nothing has been accomplished but he will keep trying until he gets the twenty five percent. There are many organizations involved in the conservation like the Rainforest Conservation Fund and WWF - US: World Wildlife Fund - The Amazon. Conserving the rainforest is not a simple matter because the companies againt it depend on wood and other things for their income and the conservation funds want to save the oxygen that is being destroyed among many other things. There are many rare species of animals worth protecting that are only found in the Amazon Rainforest like the arapaima which can grow to 10 feet in length.If you want to help the rain forest there are many things you can do like send money to a consevation fund like the ones listed below or write a letter to a conservation fund. | |
| Links to Organizations: | |
| Rainforest Conservation Fund and WWF - US: World Wildlife Fund - The Amazon |
Image from http://www.rainforestweb.org/
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