Could cutting down the rainforest be the reason why we have global warming?

Question

I read some where that gasses and other stuff released when we cut down the rainforest causes a greenhouse affect. Is this a possible big contributer to global warming? If so how come you never here about the rainforest any more on the news? Wouldn't they make a bigger deal about it instead of all the little things?

Answer 1

It is a contributing factor, not a causal one.

Answer 2

Yes, cutting down the rainforest is a reason why we have global warming. The rainforest isn't highly publicizied on the news because the government buys a lot of wood from the rainforest. The rainforest has some of the best wood in the world and it is highly valuable and durable, except that we've cut down so much of the rainforeset already.

The rainforest isn't the biggest contributor to global warming however, the rainforest can be there to take in CO2 from the atmosphere. With less trees, there is more CO2 and greenhouse gases in the atmosphere which leads to the warming of the troposphere. I don't know what 'little things' you're talking about, but burning of fossil fuels is definitely a bigger contributor to global warming than this. Both are important however, but a more important impact of cutting down the rainforest is the loss of habitat for many animals.

Reducing deforestation and emissions from the burning of fossil fuels will lead to a more sustainable environment.

Answer 3

it might contribute...

But since we had rain forests being cleared in the 1950's, 60's and 70's..... and had major pollution issues in those years due to far less efficient cars with no smog controls at all... AND had GLOBAL COOLING... maybe there's something else going on...

We have evidence of decreased solar activity in the 1970's...
We have evidence of increased solar activity in the 90's and currently...


the warming and cooling trends track almost exactly with the solar activity.

CO2 and other "greenhouse gas" content of the atmosphere can partially be DRIVEN BY the temperature...

so... the main cause of what is going on may just be the SUN.

"Stop Global warming... turn off the Sun!" Makes as much sense as what a lot of the global warming alarmists are saying... C02 produced by man is really a very small factor.

Answer 4

Why is it in the last 25 years there has been no significant change in the temperature of the earth? Via satellite and weather balloons measurements made globally - the earth has remain constant and the protective layer of the earth unhampered.

Yes, we have had some surface changes, but that is not unusual - if you study history of the earth - not only does the earth have seasons - Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter - it also has large cycles of surface freezing and warming - Does anyone remember the painting of George Washington Crossing the Delaware?? It was frozen over - now ask anyone alive today or even in the early late 1800's and early 1900's if they remember seeing the Delaware frozen over. -- that was part of the earths little Ice Age.

Making to earths natural cycles to fit ones political agenda is ridicules. Taking care of the planet is cool but the doom and gloom crap is for the idiots and fools - which one are you?

Answer 5

It's not so much that rain forests stop global warming, it's that deforestation contributes to global warming. But yes, it is true that we need trees to help control the amount of CO2, so having rain forests really does the planet well. Keep in mind that anything to do with global warming is technically theory. Read up on it and decide for yourself!

Answer 6

There are a million causes for global warming but we can find ways to stop them technologically, replacing all the causes with technology or other methods that do the same things we're replacing but without the emissions and with less resources, and less human effort designing whatever form would do that and actually replacing or retro greening them all one by one until the job is done and the environment stays healthy with all of us living on the planet mentally, physically, and spiritually sustainably without anyone of us having to put in effort past that point in order to be able to focus on other things and still protecting and preserving the environment the climate and all the species on the planet fully and effectively.

Answer 7

Yes I work in the Ecuador jungle which is the head waters of the Amazon . There is so much rain that every thing grows very fast, I have fence post sprout and grow . U make roads to w well site and after it is finished so there Is a very little traffic and the plants take it back. When u cit down a section of forest it doesn't produce CO2 very quick. The oxidation must take place first.

Answer 8

Global warming is a complicated issue, with many factors involved. Cutting down massive amounts of trees (which breathe carbon dioxide) certainly does not help the situation. Add in our carelessness about how much carbon dioxide we're emitting into the skies, along with other factors, and we have global warming.

Answer 9

No it is not! Cuting down the rainforest is only really bad for the animals who would live there. It is all about green house gasses and car pollution and other stuff like that!

Answer 10

YES-YES!.!.!.!.!. Maybe more than 70% to be blamed for it.
They don't just cut it down, it is also burned in slash-and-burn agricultural methods. The trees are not replanted and the oxygin/carbon monoxcide recycling process that takes place between day and night time is interrupted. The burning puts pollutants in the air and also acts as a shield.
The big lumber, furniture and building industry pays big $$$ to lobbiests to fight legislation and bad news that will interfere with their profit

Answer 11

It is clearly the burning of oil and coal that is the cause. If you add up all the CO2 created by all the coal and oil burned in the last 200 years, it adds up to just about how much more CO2 is in the air now as compared to 200 years ago.