The Disappearing Act | Teen Ink

The Disappearing Act

July 13, 2009
By Kate Kapitanich BRONZE, Nampa, Idaho
Kate Kapitanich BRONZE, Nampa, Idaho
1 article 0 photos 1 comment

It is like a cruel magic trick…now u see it now u don’t. But this is a magical place that doesn’t need a magician. The rainforests are disappearing, hundreds of plant and animal species going extinct, and it is all because of us (the magicians).

The Fact is that rainforests used to cover over sixteen percent of the world but now only cover around six percent. Every second one and a half acres of rainforest is lost. Scientists predict that the remaining rainforest will be completely gone by the year 2050. This is a mere forty years from now.
If this happens we will lose all rare plants, animals, and insects that have lived in rainforests for years. Over half of the world’s animal and plant species will become extinct or endangered.
It is not just animals that are and will lose their homes because of disappearing rainforests. Humans will also lose their homes. Five centuries ago there were over ten million Indians living in the Amazon rainforest, now there are less then two hundred thousand. If we continue cutting down rainforests families will lose their homes, just like the animals they live in harmony with.
Also twenty five percent of medicines are plant derived from plants found in rainforests. If we lose our rainforests we may also be losing the unfound cure for many serious and life threatening diseases. Seventy percent of plants that are found only in the rain forest contain anticancer properties. We could lose everything that we need to change the world.
So we need to change the world, we need to stop making our rainforests disappear and we need to try and regrow the rainforests of our earth. So lets all stop being magicians because the rainforest needs no help being magical. But if we don’t we will lose all of the magic forever.
We can accomplish this by not using material made from things found in the rainforest. Many wood products are made from mahogany and teak that are found in the rainforest. Look for the Forest Stewardship Council’s seal of approval. The FSC approves wood that comes from sustained areas and that does not harm natural habitats. We can also help by not using as much paper and recycle what we do use. You can also buy recycled paper at your local store. If everyone did this we could start preserving our rainforest and keeping the magic.


Similar Articles

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

This article has 0 comments.