I'm sure you have all heard about the Industrial Revolution which began in England in the 18th-century. All those factories were great for manufacturing things quickly but where do you think all that smoke ended up? Fossil fuel burning as well as changes in the way we use land have been a large factor in the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Remember, carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas which contributes to the greenhouse effect. Carbon dioxide levels in the earth's atmosphere have been increasing since the Industrial Revolution. I did some research and found out that 80% of the increase in carbon dioxide has occurred since 1900 (American Institute of Physics, 2008). The same article from the American Institute of Physics (2008) stated that all these carbon dioxide molecules that are floating around heating up the earth (remember, that can be good and bad), could be up there for hundreds to thousands of years. That's a really long time!
How many of you like trees? Trees are great, right? Sure, they sometimes drop those prickly seed pods on your head and, if you live in certain areas, create a mess of leaves that you have to rake but for the most part people like trees. They create shade, are pretty to look at (especially the flowering ones), and sometimes give fruit. Did you know trees can also help the environment? It's true! Trees actually help remove carbon dioxide and other pollutants from the atmosphere. See this article from Kathleen Alexander (n.d.) on the benefits of trees. Ms. Alexander shows how trees are constantly working to help clean up the air we breathe and help prevent the negative impacts of the greenhouse effect. Even though Ms. Alexander's article is about trees in urban parts of Colorado, those benefits of trees really do apply to the whole world.
Sadly, some people just don't share our respect and love for trees. Oftentimes, trees have
to be removed to make way for new homes or places to raise cattle. This removal of trees is referred to as deforestation. Reasons for deforestation include the demand for fuel, wood and paper products, the need for land to use for cattle ranching and other farming projects, mining, and road construction (British Broadcasting Corporation, 2005). The BBC (2005) website went into more detail about these reasons. Here are some interesting, but alarming, facts:- Half of the world's trees are cut down as fuel since no alternatives are available in developing countries. Unfortunately, these trees are not re-planted.
- Huge areas of rainforest must be cleared to make room for cattle ranches that support only a few hundred cows. This space is cleared by cutting down the trees and then burning them (which also releases carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere). Grass is grown on the cleared area and cattle graze until they are slaughtered for meat. The soil that remains is poor so the area can only be used for a short time before another section of forest must be cleared.
- As the world's population increases, so does the need for land. Forests are cleared to support increased needs for farming and homes.
Check out the BBC website for more information on deforestation.
References
Alexander, K. (n.d.). Benefits of trees in urban areas. Retrieved April 21, 2008 from http://www.coloradotrees.org/benefits.htm#carbonAmerican Institute of Physics (2008). Statement on human impacts on climate change. Retrieved April 21, 2008 from http://www.aip.org/gov/policy12.html
British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (2005). Deforestation and the greenhouse effect. Retrieved April 21, 2008 from http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A3556848
Tree photos from Classroom Clip Art.
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