|
Jan 11, 2003 The facts about the rain forest are simple. The following is not a joke, a hoax or a game. This information is for you, and highly about you. Before you say "Chop it down" learn of the importance of the rain forest. If you don't know how REAL the rain forest is, you should take a few minutes to read this artical. This is an honest issue. Just call me a tree hugger. I'm not ashamed. The Earth's greatest biological features are being consumed, just as we are beginning to appreciate their true value. Among them, there are Rainforests. Rain forests have lost 8% of there landmass and experts estimate that the last remaining rainforests could be consumed in less than 40 years. Think about that. No rain forest. Rainforests are being destroyed because the value of rainforest land is outlooked as only the value of its timber by short-sighted governments, multi- national logging companies, and land owners. The only existing trees will be the one's next to the roads and near your homes. Pretty world. NOT. The Amazon Rainforest has been described as the "Lungs of our Planet" because it provides the essential process of continuously recyling carbon dioxide into oxygen. More than 30 percent of the world oxygen is produced in the Amazon Rainforest and it is said, that this will cause global warming because Rainforests contain 31% of the earths oxegyn, while the demand for greenhouse gases are increasing. Scientists estimate that we are losing 127 plant, animal and insect species EVERY SINGLE DAY due to rainforest deforestation. That equates to 50,000 species a year. As the rainforest species disappear, so do many possible cures for life- threatening diseases. Nearly half of the world's species of plants, animals and microoganisms will be destroyed or severely threatened over the 25 years due to Rainforest deforestation. In a complete century what would be left? You do the maNow, many prescription drugs currently sold come from broken down plants. While 25% of western pharmacy researchers are made from rainforest ingredients, less than 1% of these tropical trees and plants have been tested by scientists. The U.S. National Cancer Institute has identified 3000 plants that are active against cancer cells. 70% of these plants are found in the rainforest. Twenty-five percent of the active ingredients in today's cancer-fighting drugs come from organisms found only in the rainforest. An example of a drug is Vincristine; extracted from the rainforest plant,is one of the world's most successful anticancer drugs. It has incredibly increased the survival rate for childhood leukemia since its discovery. not too long ago, there were no U.S. pharmaceutical manufacturers involved in research to discover new drugs or cures from plants. Today, over 100 pharmaceutical companies and several parts of the US government, including giants like Merck and The National Cancer Institute, are engaged in plant research projects for possible drugs and cures for viruses, infections, cancer and even AIDS. Do you enjoy fruit? I love it! Whats life without the sweet taste of an oarnge, or a mango. With people logging down the rain forest we are surely soon to find out. At least 3000 fruits are found in the rainforests. At least 80% of the developed world's diet comes from the tropical rainforest. Its abundunt gifts to the world include fruits like avocados, coconuts, figs, oranges, lemons, grapefuit, bananas, guavas, pinapples, mangos and tomatoes; vegetables including corn, potatoes, rice, winter squash and yams; spices like black pepper, cayenne, chocolate, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, sugar cane, tumeric, coffee and vanilla and nuts including Brazil nuts and cashews. If we destroy the rain forest, it would take a while to grow back. Most likely it would never. If it did it would be to late to prevent global warming and less oxegyn for us to breathe. Want to help? Go to therainforestsite to see what you can do. ------------ Comment on this column in the forum. ------------ |
|
|||||
|
|
|||||||
|
