Originally published 22 June 2020.
Hello everyone! I have a question, were you aware, that today, June 22nd, is World Rainforest Day? It is an incredibly important day to spread awareness and help everyone realise the danger our rainforests are in at present. By now, we are all aware of the continuous need to be more sustainable, with global temperatures raising and carbon emissions ever growing, well when it comes to the Rainforest, deforestation causes 15 % of global CO2 which is causing climate change, which as you can guess, is HUGE. So, today I wanted to talk a little more about the threats our planets Rainforest’s are under and how our sustainable choices can majorly help decelerate even further disaster.
According to the Rainforest Day website, they estimate that “20% of the oxygen we breathe & freshwater we drink is attributed to rainforests of the Amazon” This really does put into perspective the scale of the Amazon and just how precious it is to our everyday lives. When we then consider the dangers it faces with the fires engulfing it, deforestation and climate change endlessly demolishing our natural resources, it’s really quite scary to think. The Amazon rainforest really needs to be preciously protected, with, again the Rainforest day website stating that protecting and restoring the Rainforest will “reverse global emissions by a third“.
Quote.
“A collaborative effort to raise awareness and encourage action to save our Earth’s more precious resources, our rainforests” – World Rainforest Day
So, with all this in mind, it does beg the question ‘Well, what can I do about this?’, there are actually a mass amount of things we, as individuals can do. Of course, the obvious answer is to be considerate of our everyday actions that create less carbon emissions, this being using a car less (which is a lot easier now due to Covid-19) as well as generally being more mindful. But, more specific action we can take include:
– Eat more planet-based and less meat.
– Shop Rainforest Friendly; look for the rainforest alliance certificate on products, which usually has a frog on it, which is easy to find!
– Vote for Leaders with Greener views and write to local politicians, ask them what they are doing to reduce global emissions.
– Spread the Word. The more awareness a cause like this gains the better. It’s not just today but everyday should be important to raise awareness of the dangers our planet is facing, whether this the Rainforests or the Oceans.
Further Reading.
[1]https://worldrainforestday.org
[2]https://nationaldaycalendar.com/world-rainforest-day-june-22/