As we mentioned in our previous article, deforestation can be defined as the permanent eradication of forests through deliberate manmade activities or natural occurrences. We mentioned that this is one of the main reasons for water scarcity globally. Rivers and lakes rely on water from wetlands which are mainly forested areas. In addition to this, forests contribute to evaporation of water during transpiration and it’s this water that ends up in the atmosphere, condenses and cools, and falls back to earth as rain.
Our article was on the effects of deforestation and we promised to look at ways of tackling this problem.
Let’s take a look at 5 simple ways to fight deforestation.
Nurture a tree planting culture
Tree planting is one of the easiest activities that can be done by anyone. In fact, if every human being planted trees in 10 per cent of their land, we would be able to drastically reverse the current effects of deforestation and global warming within a couple of years. We should therefore nurture this culture.
Nurture a paperless culture
By now we know that the main source of the papers we use is trees. Every time we use papers unnecessarily it means a tree somewhere had to be cut down unnecessarily. With the proliferation of computers and the internet, it’s no longer necessary for us to keep using papers as most of the paper functions can be achieved through computer software. Let’s therefore give our forests an opportunity to recuperate by reducing the demand for tree products such as paper.
Nurture a culture of using recycled products
Recycled products are basically products that are being reused. When we use recycled products, it’s a guarantee that this product has not been produced from a recently destroyed forest. It’s therefore important to develop a culture of recycling the products we use in our homes. The idea is to reduce the strain on our forests and give them an opportunity to rejuvenate.
We need to be mind-full of where we source our food
As a rule, we need to be conscious where we source our food from. For instance, if we are buying meat products, we need to ensure that these meat does not come from a place where forests have been cut down. This can be done through paying attention to the labels in the packaging. We’ll also be required to learn as much as possible about the so called multinational companies that pre-package products so that we don’t unintentionally give business to profiteers making money by destroying our planet.
Cut down use of firewood
As responsible human beings, we need to stop using firewood. In as much as we need fire in our fireplaces, we need to turn to alternatives and cut down on our use of firewood. If all of us actively did this, our forests will get an opportunity to recuperate.
Let’s all make an active and deliberate effort to fight deforestation and save our water sources.