Globalization of Deforestation

Before you can understand anything surrounding deforestation, you must know what it actually is. Many people believe that it is just cutting down trees, specifically in the rainforests. They are correct, but there is much more to it than that. Yes, deforestation is cutting down trees, but what many people don’t know are the effects that it has. Deforestation affects almost every aspect of life. It affects the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, as well as the global economy and politics. Many people believe that deforestation is a modern idea that was brought on by the industrialization era.
The truth is deforestation has been around since the beginning of mankind. Scientists believe that most of Europe had become deforested by 1850 (Kaplan 3024). As you can see, deforestation has been occurring for a long time, and globalization has just sped up the process and increased the rates. But what all does deforestation actually affect? The list is nearly endless, because it is different in every environment and population. On a global scale though deforestation affects greenhouse gases, climate, soil fertility, water quality, watersheds, and biodiversity.
Deforestation causes all of the CO2 gases stored in trees to be released into the atmosphere which increases greenhouse gases and ultimately affects the climate and global warming. Tropical deforestation alone, “accounts for about 15 percent of the world’s global warming pollution—more than that produced by every car, truck, plane, ship, and train on Earth” (Boucher 1). The area where deforestation occurs destroys the soil’s fertility inhibiting it from being able to regrow there. Erosion caused by deforestation runs off into streams, rivers, and lakes which affect the water quality and watersheds.

Deforestation also affects biodiversity, because it kills or helps kill off plants and animals that are important to the local environment. With all of these negative effects, you would think that deforestation would be a hot topic. The truth is that most people will agree that deforestation is wrong, but very few of them will do anything about it. That is why I believe all of the policies, laws and programs which surround deforestation should be brought to greater attention and enforced. One of the leading rograms which has helped reduce deforestation in several countries is REDD, Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation. Seeing deforestation has a leading cause of emissions is new and this program has had more success than past ones. Basically, “countries are compensated if they reduce their carbon emissions from forest clearing” (Boucher 1). This gives developing and developed countries incentive to reduce deforestation because they would make more money from not deforesting than they would from deforesting.
This program has gained support from the United Nations and several countries are already adopting it. But, if we want to slow down or even stop this “monster” called deforestation then we need all of the world’s help. That is why we need to get programs like REDD and the effects of deforestation out to the public. We have all of these ideas, programs, policies, and laws which could help with the issue of deforestation, but nothing is being done to help enforce and inform people about them.
All industries should try to make their products as green as possible because every little bit counts. Sure, it might cost a little more, but in the long run it is for the greater good. Just as Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, “A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people. ” Although the forests are much more than that, it is true that deforestation will destroy a country and the world in time.