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What is the issue that you have chosen?
One of the greatest global environmental land issues instigated we face today is deforestation –
the deliberate clearing of forests by humans for other uses (Pimm, 2023). It is important to
distinguish deforestation from forest degradation, which denotes the impairment of a forest’s
ability to function effectively and maintain its sustainability (Hancock, n.d.). Despite numerous
initiatives targeted towards combatting deforestation and its consequences, our forests continue
to suffer from clear-cutting (the complete removal of trees from an area) and slash-and-burn
practices (the removal of pre-existing vegetation through cutting and burning to make way for
new agriculture) (Oxford English Dictionary, n.d.). While forests play a vital role in absorbing
carbon dioxide, generating clean air, harboring over 80% of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity
(IUCN, 2021), regulating a balanced water cycle between the land and the atmosphere, and
purifying our water sources and safeguarding our shores, the pace of deforestation in some
countries remains disturbingly high. Deforestation is frequently driven by unsustainable and
illegal agricultural practices, but logging, mining, and infrastructure expansion all equally play a
part (Greenpeace UK, 2022). With Earth’s forests under the biggest threat in history, the
livelihoods of millions at stake, and the threat of endangerment and possible extinction for
numerous species at large, it is now more important than ever to ask ourselves if the jeopardy of
losing one of the most valuable resources on this planet outweighs the benefits derived from their
destruction? (235 words)
Why do you care about this issue?
