Why Do We Need the Rainforests?

If we are to save what is left of the rainforests on earth, we need to understand and make people understand the part these forests play in our life, and in our existence. For most people, the rainforests are exotic worlds to be seen in Discovery Channel and to be forgotten. After all, how does a dense forest full of unknown plants and animals matter to us?

Well, first of all the rainforests are the most untouched and pristine ecosystems remaining on earth and contribute to the climatic balance of our earth. The collective photosynthesis by the rainforest’s trees let off a little bit off oxygen in the atmosphere every day. By absorbing the high rainfall in also balances out the climate and vegetation in the surrounding areas.

Example is how deforestation in Brazil has led to massive landslides and mudslides that have killed thousands of people. Some areas are also beginning to experience drought as the rainforests dwindle in size. The Rainforests also keep the air cleaner and healthier and as rainforests are cut down, diseases and respiratory illnesses are seen to rise in surrounding areas.

The rainforests are also the biggest natural greenhouses on earth and are capable of sustaining life within it by producing its own food. As fears for food crisis grows in our world, scientists are looking into the resilient world of rainforests to find crops and plants that can fight the growing climatic shifts. So, the rainforests can be the only thing standing between humanity and starvation.

The rainforests are also home to millions of species of animals, each contributing to its ecosystem. For every drawer or kitchen cabinet built out of rainforest wood, we lose a few thousand of species, not even aware what role they played in our bio-diversity.

The rainforests are also called the world’s biggest pharmacy, with thousands of medicinal plants yet to be discovered in its depths. Scientists believe that some of these plants can be the only answer to the emerging new disease plaguing the human world. Along with the rainforests, our only cure for cancer may also be vanishing.

Let’s not forget the hundreds of tribes of native people who live in the depths of these forests, in complete harmony with that ecosystem. Many have no contact with the outside world and are not aware of anything beyond the boundaries of their world. They provide a unique glimpse into our history and evolution, an example of how our ancestors might have lived in quiet harmony with nature.

What the world needs to know is that the Rainforests are not exotic slide shows but the perfect examples of how we should maintain our ecosystem. These forests may be the only things keeping our climate in balance despite global warming. But the area of forests rapidly dwindling, the balance may tilt in the favor of global warming and then there won’t be any rainforests left or the exotic animals and plants the hold.