Environmental Help Desk Tip for Week of October 21, 2019

Our “Lungs” At Risk

Rain forests are the “lungs of the world”.  Every year, 27 million acres of rain forest (an area the size of the state of Ohio) are destroyed, often to harvest Mahogany and Teak wood and to clear land for agriculture and grazing, even though the soil in rain forests is poorly suited for farming or raising cattle. 

Recently, the scale of this has been brought to the fore through coverage of the fires in the Brazilian Amazon. Once the ground cover is gone, the forest cannot recover because it cannot hold enough moisture to regenerate a rain forest.  Rainforests are home to over half of the world’s wild plant, animal, and insect species.  They are threatened by loss of habitat. 

To help, look for “Forest Stewardship Council certified wood”.  Consider as well buying refurbished used furniture, flooring and other products made from used or salvaged wood.