Why protect now…

Why it is vital to protect our tropical rainforests now…

1. It is estimated that 100 acres of tropical rainforest are lost to deforestation every minute!

2. About 38 million acres of tropical rainforests are destroyed each year. This is the same size as England, Scotland & Wales all together.
Source: FAO Forest Resource Assessment 2005

3. Rainforests act as a ‘Carbon Sink’ locking up huge amounts of carbon. Through burning and logging rainforest, deforestation releases approximately 20% of global CO2 emissions. 

4. Over 40% of modern medicines used in the developed world originated from tropical rainforests. Over 2000 rainforest plants have already been identified as having anti-cancer properties.

5. The rainforest are vital to the functioning of global weather and rainfall cycles.