Why Is Deforestation An Issue?

June 12, 2023 by Admin

The world is constantly in a state of flux. Whether that’s in terms of evolving technology, fluctuating populations, or the changing state of global climate, there’s always changes afoot across the planet. There’s nowhere that’s more apparent than in the status of the world’s forests, which are dwindling at a rapid pace.

But what makes deforestation such a pressing issue? Why is the state of logging and the loss of forests and jungles globally a cause of urgent concern? At Tariff, we’re committed to understanding more about our planet, and a huge part of that is through effective education and easily digested information.

With this article, we’ll look at the concerns surrounding deforestation, why it represents a major issue in both the short- and long-term future of our world, as well as what you can do to help stem the tide through initiatives like global net-zero.

 

What Is Deforestation?

In essence, deforestation means the loss of forests, trees and plant life on a global or industrial scale. It’s usually associated with heavily forested areas or those with dense jungle, like South America or China, but it happens worldwide.

It may not be surprising to learn that the vast majority of all deforestation occurs in tropical areas, with places like the Amazon Rainforest seeing a disproportionate amount of forest loss and logging projects.

While this might seem like a simple definition on the surface, the issue of deforestation runs far deeper than just the loss of trees. It also links closely to the destruction of natural habitats, as well as a massive disruption to the ecosystems that are endemic to that area.

This upsets the natural balance that forests cultivate, demolishing nests and homes and removing key food and shelter sources for some of Nature’s most vulnerable creatures. This has consistently drive animals to the brink of, or directly into, endangerment or even extinction.

A key consideration of deforestation is that it’s usually done for a purpose. More often than not, this is motivated by profit and demand for paper or wood products, but it can also be done as a way to clear space for industrial or urban expansion, especially so in countries with rapidly expanding economies (like China and India).

Deforestation is also viewed as a necessity for the creation and maintenance of plantations that house huge numbers of tress grown solely for palm oil and rubber, as well as cattle farms to meet the growing demand of meat and other food products across the world.

It’s with these factors in mind, then, it’s no surprise that deforestation has seen rapid and unregulated increases over the course of human development. Our World In Data estimates that the world has already lost over a third of its forest coverage – an area of 2 billion hectares, or roughly twice the size of the United States.

This peaked in the 1980s where, over the course of the decade, more than 151 million hectares of global and tropical forest was removed. Modern efforts have since reduced this through replanting and net-zero offsetting initiatives, but there’s still been a net loss of 47 million hectares over the last decade.

There’s no sign of that stopping any time soon, either. As much as replanting and regenerative efforts have slowed the inexorable effects that deforestation has, the Global Forest Resources Assessment still estimates that we lose around 10 million hectares of forest every year, or approximately the area of Portugal.

As startling as these statistics are, they only represent the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the impacts of deforestation. Let’s break down the key reasons why logging and the loss of our forests is one of the most pertinent issues in the modern world.

 

Why Is Deforestation An Issue?

This is something we’ve briefly touched on already, but there’s a myriad of reasons why deforestation is one of the most pressing issues that faces the planet. We’ll break down the core reasons here, as well as the catastrophic consequences of not addressing deforestation and large-scale logging.

 

Deforestation Unquestionably Contributes To Climate Change

The loss of our forests and trees on a huge scale has massive impacts on climate change. Trees take in harmful carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and release oxygen, creating cleaner air and a healthier Earth.

Without them, we run the risk of huge changes to the state of the global climate, and as these trees are processed, they release any carbon dioxide they’ve processed back into the environment, and further contribute towards the pollution and greenhouse gases that the logging processes contributes.

The WWF estimates that deforestation accounts for around 10% of all global warming, with that number set to increase if efforts to reduce deforestation aren’t stepped up to a more consistent and active level.

Alarmingly, that’s already started to begin. A journal published in Science back in 2017 found that tropical forests were, as a direct result of deforestation, now emitting more carbon than they removed from the environment. It’s worrying trends like these that cause warranted concern for the state of our environment.

As more carbon is emitted, and temperatures begin their indefatigable rise, it’s our global climate that’s set to suffer the most, with the poorest and least developed countries that are set to be the most adversely affected.

As we discussed in our guide to the biggest environmental issues facing the planet, the World Health Organisation estimate that, without the proper action, we could be looking at a further 250,000 deaths globally as well as an estimated cost of £4 billion by as soon as 2035, all caused by a changing climate.

While there are substantial plans in place to turn the tides of climate change, such as the pledge for global net-zero by 2050, it’s likely to be an uphill struggle before we see any meaningful changes.

Deforestation Leads To Habitat Disruption & Destruction

One of the more immediately apparent impacts of deforestation, and something that has untold devastation in terms of biodiversity, is the ruining and removal of the natural habitats of a huge variety of flora and fauna.

This is true of every kind of forest, but especially so across tropical forests and jungles like the Amazon. It’s estimated that one of every 10 known species on Earth is native to the Amazon Rainforest, and with researchers finding new ones on a regular basis, it’s a number that’s likely to keep increasing.

Deforestation poses undoubtedly the biggest risk to the world’s diverse array of animals and plants. As forests are razed in favour of cattle farms, plantations and other industrial projects, large and irreplaceable swatches of trees, foliage and undergrowth are lost.

Its already threatened numerous indigenous and threatened species, driving many more to vulnerability, endangered status and even extinction. You can read more about this in our comprehensive guide to the world’s most endangered animals, but a standout example is the jaguar.

One of the most instantly recognisable big cats, and the largest across the whole of North and South America, the jaguar has been driven to become an endangered species, now confined to less than half of its original habitat.

Deforestation Displaces The Native People

As much as we’ve touched on the impact that deforestation has on the animals and plants that are local to the forests and jungles, it’s equally impactful for the indigenous people. Let’s use the Amazon Rainforest, the area most effected by deforestation, as a prime example of this.

Conservative estimates state that over 30 million people live in the Amazon, and rely on it for farming, food, clothing, shelter, traditional medicine and their livelihoods. For those people, it’s their homes, and the place where the seek to raise a family and live a healthy life.

This includes isolated populations, who’ve only ever know the Amazon and its canopies as their home.

As deforestation continues its relentless march onwards, there’s becoming less and less space for these people to live on. Land is being eaten away by aggressive and invasive logging and agricultural practices, and machinery presents another threat, especially to children.

Deforestation Practices Lead To Serious Soil Issues

One of the more immediate issues presented by deforestation is one that’s invisible to the naked eye. Heavy machinery and equipment used in the logging process drastically impacts the quality and integrity of the soil.

Tyres and tracks carve massive gouges in the earth, and damage the fragile grasses and insect life that teems on the forest floors. However, it goes much deeper than that, especially as work continues to go on, and more and more machinery powers across and through the ground.

As trees are felled, the soil becomes loose and less compacted, meaning it can become much more prone to erosion. Erosion by its definition is when the earth itself is worn away, leaving it less stable and unable to support plant life.

Existing plants and remaining trees will shift as roots are disturbed, which leaves the forest more open. According to National Geographic, this means the environment goes from one that’s wet and closed off environment, to one that’s more open and much drier.

Not only does this impact animals who need that moist, cool atmosphere to survive (like tree frogs or arthropods), but the dryness can mean a much greater risk of fire, which is obviously a catastrophic occurrence in any wooded area.

 

What Issues Could Deforestation Cause In The Future?

In truth, it’s difficult to say what the future holds for deforestation. What we can speculate on, however, is the efforts that are in place now and that are planned for the near future, and their projections.

Deforestation accounts for approximately 10% of all global warming (some estimates place this even higher at 11%), and as pollution and other factors that contribute towards climate change continue to rise steadily, changing the way we use products and energy makes complete sense.

Should deforestation continue at its same rate, the likelihood is we could see further complications like the ones we’ve outlined in our previous section. People losing their homes, and a huge loss of our planet’s biodiversity, is just the start of what could be planet-defining domino effect.

In fact, NASA estimates that, if deforestation doesn’t slow down, we could see a complete eradication of our rainforests within the next years. This would be absolutely disastrous, and mean that we far exceed any targets set out by global climate initiatives like the Glasgow Climate Pact signed at COP26 back in 2021.

Findings from Our World In Data do show a trend towards the positive, however, with the amount hectares of forest lost going from 51 million between 2000 and 2009, to 47 million between 2010 and 2019. While a small difference at just 4 million hectares, it still represents a positive change, and one that needs to be taken forward as the world prepares for global net-zero by 2050.

Agreements signed at the One Planet Summit in 2021 also provide a glimmer of hope, with 50 of the world’s major economic powerhouses committing to protect 30% of the land and sea by 2035. This initiative, spearheaded by the French and British governments, aims to cut back the amount of global deforestation, and push greener and more sustainable schemes.

Of course, while all of these moves are positive, and we’re starting to see a major planetary shift in the attitudes towards deforestation and climate change, there’s still steps to be taken. And that’s something you and your business can help with.

 

How Can My Business Get Involved With Reforestation Initiatives?

In the past, it might have been much more complex for you and your business to get involved with eco-initiatives. With services like Tariff, who are able to switch your business energy package with minimal fuss and maximum impact, that’s now a much simpler process.

We’re exceptionally proud to be one of very few energy specialists UK-wide who can offer such a tailormade service, taking you from your current energy service to a fully net-zero business. It’s a simple process that we aim to make as stress-free as possible.

We’ll begin by getting to know you, your company, and your group’s aims for the energy future of your company. This, for us, is an integral stage that many other providers miss out. By developing that initial understanding and rapport, we feel that we’re much better placed to provide something’s that perfect for you and your future endeavours.

Once we’ve moved past that initial consultation phase, we’ll begin taking accurate background readings of the energy you use on a daily or weekly basis. Our signature IPSUM system provides a comprehensive, easily digested breakdown of your where your business is expending its energy.

Again, this is a crucial component of the process, for both us and you. Once we’ve got clear readings of where you’re using your energy, we can start to make changes that are sustainable and impactful. This might include adjustments to:

• Where and how you use electricity and gas
• The amount of water you use (such as doing one dishwasher load per day as opposed to two)
• Waste disposal and recycling projects you run
• Any fuel your company uses (such as across company or employee vehicles)

We’ll work tirelessly to ensure that all of the changes you make have minimal to no disruption to your day-to-day running, and that you’ve reduced your emissions to as sustainable and as manageable a level as they can be.

Once we’ve worked alongside you to ensure you’ve reduced your emissions as much as possible, we’ll then completely offset your business’ remaining emissions. This is done through Woodland Carbon Credits.

Offsetting is a crucial part of the net-zero journey, whereby our unique system ensures that your business is provided with more than enough credits to cover your remaining emissions. We source only the best carbon credits that come from sustainable and long-lasting projects, and that we’re exceptionally proud to have partnered with.

If you’d like to learn more about the net-zero process, or you’re set on making that step, get in touch with Tariff today, and our expert operators will be more than happy to help.