why is deforestation such a problem?

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The majority of the world is very aware that deforestation is a problem. However, most of the time it is brushed aside in order to deal with all the other issues that our world is dealing with. In my opinion, if we could solve our deforestation problem, we could also solve some of the other pressing issues that are currently happening in the world. One question I keep thinking to myself is, why is deforestation so bad? Can't we just plant more trees? But in my research, I found that it is so much more than just planting some more trees. 

According to Live Science, "about half the forests have already been cleared" so far. That's 30% of the worlds land mass! (national geographic) We are destroying the only planet we have to live on! Soon all the trees we cut down to make paper and other goods wont matter in the slightest because we will literally all be dead. Another shocking statistic I found was this: "since the last century, Indonesia has lost at least 15.79 million hectares of forest land, according to a study by the University of Maryland." So many people, animals, and plants have lost their lives so we could have some paper. 

In my opinion, cutting down the only supply of trees we have should not be happening. Deforestation should be stopped immediately. This modern era we live in could easily be sustained by going paperless. Not to mention the amount of money, lives, and opportunity cost we would save. 

summarizing deforestation

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Economic principle: Choices have an opportunity cost

Thesis: There are always going to be numerous choices and decisions one has to make throughout their life. In my research I found that every single choice someone makes has an opportunity cost and an effect in their life.

Synthesis paragraph: 

Every day we make hundreds of choices. From something so simple as what shoes we think look best with the pants we have on or something as complex as what tests to run in order to cure cancer. We all make these choices in life and when I began my research I assumed that with each decision came one opportunity cost, but I soon realized that was far from the truth.

Most people assume that deforestation doesn't affect people who don't live in that country but they couldn't be more wrong. According to national geographic, deforestation causes a huge loss in trees which in turn worsens global warming which makes for warmer winters and summer. this results in farmers in the US not being able to maintain the amount of fruit or vegetables they need in order to sustain themselves. Just that is multiple opportunity costs wrapped into one choice. Another opportunity cost is the money that goes into deforestation. Cutting down trees is costing $2-5 trillion dollars a year! 1/2 of the national debt is being used to cut down trees! That is an opportunity cost for millions of americans!

The way in which people cut down the trees is an opportunity cost in itself because it is so harmful. Most companies use the Slash and Burn method. This entails cutting down all the trees just to burn the land. Doing this is so harmful for so many reasons. The first being the obvious that it is not healthy for humans or the animals living in those trees to be near so much smoke and harmful tools. And the second reason being that putting so much carbon dioxide into the air is causing holes in the ozone layer and causing more green house gases to get into our atmosphere, according to National Geographic.

There are so many decisions that people have to make every day, and they all have a price. Deforestation has many opportunity costs that affect a lot of people's every day life styles.

Deforestation

Deforestation

By: Jenni Gibbs 

• TITLE: Deforestation and the Economy  
• KEY ECONOMIC PRINCIPLES I’M ADDRESSING:
• All choices have an opportunity cost
• People respond to incentives in predictable ways
• Institutions are the "rules of the game" that influence choices

• OVERALL RESEARCH QUESTION: What are the economic effects of deforestation?

• SUB QUESTIONS
• What is deforestation?
• Why are people cutting down so many trees?
• How is it affecting the environment?
• Where is is most common to see deforestation?

• RESOURCES FOR RESEARCH:
• DATABASES: National geographic, World Geography, Scientific American
• WEBSITES: OxfordJournals.org, AmericanMeteorologicalSocietyJournal.org

How much does deforestation cost?

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For years we have been cutting down thousands of trees per day for years. Dozens of companies travel to remote areas of the world for the greatest supply of trees. They get paid by the hour to do that job. It doesn’t cost the companies much in comparison for what they are getting in return in profit. But what is it costing the rest of the world? What does it cost to destroy the planet?

Cutting down trees and destroying the environment does not come cheap. According to NRDC, “The BBC is reporting on a new study which estimated that current deforestation is costing the world $2-5 trillion per year.” This staggering number shows that each year we are spending ½ of what we owe in the national debt in destroying the planet for resources. Even in this modern technology day and age where we could use the money we are spending to cut down trees to pay off some of the national debt just by going paperless.

The world needs saving now. We can’t wait any longer to start saving the planet. Deforestation is a huge factor in why the planet is suffering every day. If we stop doing this we could help save the only world we have to live in and start paying off the national debt.

My next research question is: what regions of the world are the most popular for deforestation?

What/who is deforestation affecting?

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When people hear about deforestation, their first thought is usually "Those poor animals, they're losing their homes! How sad." However, they don't usually stop to ask about how deforestation is affecting them. Most people do not stop to ask because they know it's far away from where they live so there can't be any way it affects them, right? Wrong! Deforestation affects everyone all over the world! Cutting down trees is not only taking away the homes for thousands of animals, it could potentially take away our homes in the future.

So many innocent animals call the rainforest floor their home. There are also thousands of animals that live up in the trees, too. If people cut down their homes, they will have nowhere to go and will die and their species will eventually go extinct. When tree companies cut down thousands of trees today, there is a huge impact on the ecosystem. “The most dramatic impact is a loss of habitat for millions of species” says National Geographic. “70% of Earth’s land animals live in forests, and many cannot survive the deforestation that destroys their homes...Removing trees deprives the forest of portions of its canopy, which blocks the sun’s rays during the day and holds in heat at night. This disruption leads to more extreme temperatures swings that can be harmful to plants and animals.” As we cut down trees for our benefit, and homes, we are ripping away millions of animal’s homes away from them every single day.

However, deforestation also affects us, here, close to home. According to National Geographic, “deforestation also drives climate change. Forest soils are moist, but without protection from sun-blocking tree cover they quickly dry out.” Cutting down trees is affecting the climate, making for warmer and warmer seasons every year. The article also stated, “trees also help perpetuate the water cycle by returning water vapor back into the atmosphere. Without trees to fill these roles, many former forest lands can quickly become barren deserts.” Without the trees there, we are ruining the forest and our Earth. “Trees play a critical role in absorbing the greenhouse gases that fuel global warming. Fewer forests means larger amounts of greenhouse gases entering the atmosphere—and increased speed and severity of global warming.” As we continue to cut down rainforest after rainforest, keep this in mind; you are ruining their world, and you are ruining yours too.

My next research question: How expensive does it cost in total to cut down trees in tropical rainforests?

Deforestation: What is it exactly?

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Deforestation is something people hear about all the time. They hear about it on the news. They hear about it in news papers. They hear about it in nature documentaries. People will say, "they're cutting down all the trees!" or "deforestation is taking over the amazon!" However most people do not actually understand what deforestation is exactly. People do not often stop to ask, why are people cutting down so many trees at one time? Surely it can't be for the mere fun and excitement of it. According to an article on the National Geographic website, there are many reasons that deforestation is occuring in our world today such as agriculture, and construction for new homes. 

Most people who work for companies that cut down trees in the rainforest do it because they have to. A lot of the time it is because people need "money or to provide for their families". However, "the biggest driver of deforestation is agriculture."(National Geographic) Farmers need to cut down these trees in order to clear the land for crops so they can sell them to make money in order to provide for their families. They clear the land in a way known as "Slash and Burn"(National Geographic) agriculture. Slash and burn agriculture is when existing vegetation is cut down and burned off before new seeds are planted. 

However, not all deforestation is intentional. Yes, a lot of it is due to companies tearing and chopping down trees to make space for peoples homes and crops. However, "not all deforestation is intentional. Some of it is caused by a combination of human and natural factors like wildfires and subsequent overgrazing, which may prevent the growth of young trees."(National Geographic)  What many people neglect to understand is that while deforestation is a major problem that is caused by companies who are solely interested in making a quick buck, there is no one person(s) to blame for the loss of so many trees.