But what can I do to help?

GOVERNMENTS

Governments can pass laws to limit forests being cut down. They can also make everyone own a paper recycling bin.

ORGANISATIONS

Organisations can encourage people to use recycled paper, and they could organise a protest against tree logging. Another idea would be to raise money and buy a part of a forest.

INDIVIDUALS

Individuals can help by recycling their own paper. Do this by ringing Visy Easy and send them paper for recycling. This way it gets reused, instead of getting sent to landfill. Another help would be to join an organisation.

• Every second, a football field of forest is being cut down
• 80% of flowers in Australian rainforests are only found in Australia
• Bamboo plants can grow 9 inches in a day!
• 2000 different species of butterflies live in the forest.

Every day, thousands of trees get logged for paper, wood, or farming land. If we don’t do something now, the forests may be lost forever…

The Problems

The problem is over harvesting, and habitat destruction. There might not be any left for oxygen, medicines, chocolate and other vital ingredients found in forests. Also, habitats and species are lost due to their homes being destroyed.

HABITAT DESTRUCTION

Many habitats are destroyed due to deforestation. In forests, there is a large range of biodiversity, and cutting it down, leaves birds, mammals and many other types of species with no where to go. How would you like it if someone came and destroyed your home? It’s not very pleasant, is it.

OVER HARVESTING

The effects of over harvesting are devastating. There is less oxygen in the air to neutralise the carbon emissions. Also, without forests to catch the rain, mass runoffs can form and create major floods to cities and towns.

LOCATION OF PROBLEM

One particular location of major deforestation is Brazil. In Brazil there are up to 600 fires daily! This is a fast way of destroying the tree for farming land. Some of the rainforests have been reduced to 10% of their original size.