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50 Simple Steps to Save the World's Rainforests: How to Save Our Rainforests Through Everyday Acts
50 Simple Steps to Save the World's Rainforests How to Save Our Rainforests Through Everyday Acts Author:Kim Henderson, Green Patriot Working Group 50 Simple Steps to Save the World's Rain Forests begins by taking an adoring and disturbing look at the world's rainforests, in terms of their wealth, diversity, beauty and tragic progressive destruction. Yet as soon as it delivers the harsh realities, 50 Simple Steps provides its readers with an abundance of simple positive actions they can fee... more »l good about taking, each one with an explanation of how these actions will truly make a difference. While many of us have never seen a rainforest up close, their existence is essential to survival for all of us. Rainforests have been called the "lungs of the planet" producing vast quantities of oxygen while absorbing great amounts of carbon dioxide, therefore aiding in the fight against global warming. Rainforests are also home to more than two-thirds of the world's estimated 10-100 million species of plants, animals and insects. The rainforest is the source of plants and healing herbs used in 25% of pharmaceutical drugs and the majority of natural remedies. While rainforests once covered 14% of the earth's land surface, due to deforestation, they now cover only 6%, and experts predict that our remaining rainforests could be consumed in less than 40 years, if human practices continue at the current rates Experts have estimated that we are losing 50,000 plant, animal and insect species every year due to rainforest deforestation. Tragically, it is also estimated that 1/3 to 1/5 of carbon dioxide pollution comes from tropical rainforest destruction, which contributes to the 'greenhouse effect' which causes global warming. This inspirational consumer handbook provides easy and practical steps anyone can take to protect the world's precious rainforests. Many of the steps include ways to reduce consumption of wood and paper goods, others focus on purchasing sustainable products (such as nuts, fruits, spices, oil-producing plants and medicinal plants) from the rainforest so that trees will become more financially valuable to land owners alive than harvested for timber or to make space for grazing lands for cattle. Other steps address eating less beef, purchasing wood from certified sustainable forests, using sustainable alternatives such as bamboo, and joining or supporting organizations such as the Rainforest Action Network and the World Wildlife Fund.« less