Soto 1
Emily Soto
Professor Adlparvar-Lange
English 115
9 December 2021
Deforestation
Did you know that forests cover about 30% of the Earth's surface, yet recent research
has observed a global decline in trees (Blanchfield Par.1)? Private organizations and
governments have even increased their efforts over the past decade to protect our forests, and
while many people support these conservation efforts, others disagree. Three advantages of
conserving forests include slowing down the effects of global warming due to the cutting
down of trees and the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, conserving biodiversity
within forests, and preventing infectious disease outbreaks associated with deforestation.
Three disadvantages of conserving more forests are the reductions in cattle ranching- a way
to raise livestock and generate meat and dairy to feed the world's population, less making of
palm oil which is largely utilized for human consumption but additionally utilized for
biodiesel and pharmaceuticals, and lastly a decrease in logging which provides us with wood
for homes, furniture, paper, and more.
One of the major arguments for conserving forests and implementing policies for
deforestation is to slow down the effects of global warming. Many scientists are worried
about carbon dioxide pollution, which results from cutting down trees and the effects it has
on climate change. In their article “How California Can Save the Amazon” (2018), Michael
Oppenheimer and Steve Schwartzman explain that, ”Without protecting these forests, the
world can't cut emissions quickly enough to avoid the most dangerous impacts of climate
change. Trees photosynthesize carbon dioxide, using it to build their wood and leaves, and
, Soto 2
then lock this carbon safely away -- so long as they remain standing. If burned or cut, trees
become a major source of the pollution that threatens the world” (Par. 3). By describing how
trees store carbon dioxide and the damage they can cause if they are cut, the authors
demonstrate the importance of trees in slowing global warming. Oppenheimer and
Schwartzman propose that, “California should create credits for saving whole forest
landscapes, across entire states or nations. The credits would be calculated based on the tons
of carbon banked in trees in these protected regions, and could be purchased by companies to
offset up to 2 percent of their emissions” (Par. 4). As a solution, the authors suggest that
California establish forest credits that would incentivize landowners to conserve forests,
while businesses would be able to purchase these credits and use them to further offset
emissions.
Another argument is that conserving forests preserves a healthy level of biodiversity
in animal and plant life alike. Extinction of species is often considered to be linked with
deforestation, and Marcia Clemmitt explains why it may be possible. In her article “Species
Extinction: Is a Mass Die-off Underway?” (2017), she explains that, “The loss of habitat from
human-related activities is a major factor driving the decline of wildlife populations. Since
1900, as the human population has soared from 1.6 billion to 7.6 billion, land mammals have
steadily lost territory” (Clemmit Par. 2). She first makes the correlation between habitat loss
and the decline of a species and then provides more specific data when she says, “The
number of vertebrates dropped by up to 58 percent between 1970 and 2012. For example,
habitat loss and unsustainable hunting have drastically driven down the number of elephants
and pangolins, scale-covered mammals found in Africa” (Clemmit Par. 2). With this data, she
is able to demonstrate how human activities such as deforestation have often resulted in the
extinction of species, which is an important point for forest conservationists.
Emily Soto
Professor Adlparvar-Lange
English 115
9 December 2021
Deforestation
Did you know that forests cover about 30% of the Earth's surface, yet recent research
has observed a global decline in trees (Blanchfield Par.1)? Private organizations and
governments have even increased their efforts over the past decade to protect our forests, and
while many people support these conservation efforts, others disagree. Three advantages of
conserving forests include slowing down the effects of global warming due to the cutting
down of trees and the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, conserving biodiversity
within forests, and preventing infectious disease outbreaks associated with deforestation.
Three disadvantages of conserving more forests are the reductions in cattle ranching- a way
to raise livestock and generate meat and dairy to feed the world's population, less making of
palm oil which is largely utilized for human consumption but additionally utilized for
biodiesel and pharmaceuticals, and lastly a decrease in logging which provides us with wood
for homes, furniture, paper, and more.
One of the major arguments for conserving forests and implementing policies for
deforestation is to slow down the effects of global warming. Many scientists are worried
about carbon dioxide pollution, which results from cutting down trees and the effects it has
on climate change. In their article “How California Can Save the Amazon” (2018), Michael
Oppenheimer and Steve Schwartzman explain that, ”Without protecting these forests, the
world can't cut emissions quickly enough to avoid the most dangerous impacts of climate
change. Trees photosynthesize carbon dioxide, using it to build their wood and leaves, and
, Soto 2
then lock this carbon safely away -- so long as they remain standing. If burned or cut, trees
become a major source of the pollution that threatens the world” (Par. 3). By describing how
trees store carbon dioxide and the damage they can cause if they are cut, the authors
demonstrate the importance of trees in slowing global warming. Oppenheimer and
Schwartzman propose that, “California should create credits for saving whole forest
landscapes, across entire states or nations. The credits would be calculated based on the tons
of carbon banked in trees in these protected regions, and could be purchased by companies to
offset up to 2 percent of their emissions” (Par. 4). As a solution, the authors suggest that
California establish forest credits that would incentivize landowners to conserve forests,
while businesses would be able to purchase these credits and use them to further offset
emissions.
Another argument is that conserving forests preserves a healthy level of biodiversity
in animal and plant life alike. Extinction of species is often considered to be linked with
deforestation, and Marcia Clemmitt explains why it may be possible. In her article “Species
Extinction: Is a Mass Die-off Underway?” (2017), she explains that, “The loss of habitat from
human-related activities is a major factor driving the decline of wildlife populations. Since
1900, as the human population has soared from 1.6 billion to 7.6 billion, land mammals have
steadily lost territory” (Clemmit Par. 2). She first makes the correlation between habitat loss
and the decline of a species and then provides more specific data when she says, “The
number of vertebrates dropped by up to 58 percent between 1970 and 2012. For example,
habitat loss and unsustainable hunting have drastically driven down the number of elephants
and pangolins, scale-covered mammals found in Africa” (Clemmit Par. 2). With this data, she
is able to demonstrate how human activities such as deforestation have often resulted in the
extinction of species, which is an important point for forest conservationists.
