What is the current state of the Rainforests and what are the nations governments doing to protect them?

Answer 1

Tropical and temperate rain forests have been subjected to heavy logging and agricultural clearance throughout the 20th century, and the area covered by rainforests around the world is rapidly shrinking. It is estimated that the rainforest was reduced by about 58,000 km² annually in the 1990s. Rainforests used to cover 14% of the Earth's surface. This percentage is now down to 6% and it is estimated by some that the remaining natural rainforests could disappear within 40 years (mid-21st century). Biologists have estimated that large numbers of species are being driven to extinction, possibly more than 50,000 a year, due to the removal of habitat with destruction of the rain forests. Protection and regeneration of the rainforests is a key goal of many environmental charities and organisations, including EcologyFund and the Nature Conservancy.

read more at www.ecologyfund.com

Answer 2

"While it's commonly believed that rainforests provide much of the oxygen for the planet, and are the "lungs of the world", most rainforests do not in fact provide oxygen for the rest of the world. Through the decomposition of dead plant matter, rainforests consume as much oxygen as they produce, except in certain conditions (primarily swamp forests) where the dead plant matter does not decay, but is preserved underground instead (ultimately to form new coal deposits over enough time). Still, rainforests act as major consumers of atmospheric carbon and may play a large role in cooling air that passes through them. As such, many scientists feel that the rainforests are of vital importance within the global climate system." See? Rainforests are important, especially to the carbon cycle, which, by the way, is the one thing that can counteract global warming due to the buring of fossil fuels. Most nations are doing little to protect them, simply because those nations that have the money to mount large sscale conservation efforts don't have control of them. Governments that do say that they need the wood for logging and ranching, and there is some truth to that. Why should a poor Brazilian who wants to farm in the rainforest and provide for his family care that some American environmentalist wants to maintain "bio diversity"? Conservation is tricky like that.

Answer 3

There is a Rainforest in Washington State. I think the government is doing a good job of protecting it.

Answer 4

One thing that must be presented is the fact that forests are actually rebounding. There are more forests in the world today, more trees, than there was 50 years ago. Logging tactics, for the most part, have adapted to better protect the resource.

Answer 5

Even as beautiful and as full of exotic plants as God has made in rain forests, i think that rain forests take the back seat when it comes to a countries development. And since the US does not have the privilege of many rain forests, it is hard for us to make an agreement with another country about what they will do to save rain forests.

Answer 6

The rain forest thing is a hoax, the planet does NOT need them. The oceans produce more than enough oxygen to breath. Plus they're not going away that fast- see link

Answer 7

They will be wiped out in another 30 years. No government is serious about protecting them.

Answer 8

Very bad, many animals and plants are being burned to extinction. T hey are doing some but not near enough.

Answer 9

Go to the wildnerness society online, join send petitions to your senators governors and the dumbass president....its all we can do! make your voice heard.