Disappearing rainforests

Rainforests, also called the "green lungs" of the Earth, are with their 75 million years the oldest habitats on the planet. They grow in countries near The Equator and receive 2-10 meters of rain every year. 60 % of rainforests are in Central and South America, the rest are in West Africa, South East Asia and the Pacific Islands. Half of all the species of animals, insects and plants live in rainforests.

Destroying the rainforests

Every hour, hectars of rainforests disappear. Why?

a) The Third World
- poor people from the Third World don´t have enough land for planting crops or for stock-raising , so they cut down the trees to get land

b) The First World - Rich countries depend on rainforest products
- wood (special kinds of wood - mahogany, caoutchouc tree...)
- minerals (experts say, that the man has discovered only 10 % of minerals in the Amazon area)
- medicine (25 % of all medicines contain rainforest products)
- rubber (caoutchouc)

People in rainforests
In South America, there have lived tribes with the oldest culture on the world for over 10 000 years. In 1492, when Columbus sailed to America, 6 - 9 million people lived there. But the conquerors killed them and brought them deseases, so today, that number is less then 200 000. Since 1900, more than 87 tribes have disappeared completely.

Animals, insects and plants in rainforests
Rainforests have been cut down and so many species have lost their homes. They have nowhere to live and they die immediately. Fifty species become extinct every day, so you can imagine, how long in can last till there wont be any animals and plants.

Climate problem
The Earth needs rainforests to control its temperature. They are also the biggest producers of oxygen. Without them, the Greenhouse effect would have worse consequences.

How to solve these problems?
We cannot stop rainforst destruction completely, but we can make it less serious.
We have to protect the rainforests by making national parks of them. Today, only 5% of rainforests are national parks. Governments have to protect more land and to grow new trees. There should be given more aid to the Third World Countries. People in these countries are cutting down the trees only because of money. If rich countries would support them, they could develop different industries and they won´t have to destroy the rainforest.