4 ways to protect the rainforests
Sky and the WWF have joined forces to help save 1 billion trees and protect three million hectares from deforestation.
They have created “Sky Rainforest Rescue” to support the Acre State Government (located in the north western part of Brazil) protect the Amazon rainforest.
What I love about this campaign is that it isn’t simply a case of throwing money at something; it’s combined with education and empowerment – two of our key words here at Little Green Blog.
By working with local people the campaign aspires to give people an alternative to cutting down trees in an area threatened by increased deforestation. Funds raised through Sky Rainforest Rescue will help to improve people’s lives by supporting sustainable farming methods and promote long-term conservation of the rainforest in Acre.
Around 20% of the Amazon rainforest has already been lost to deforestation and an area the size of three football pitches is destroyed every minute. But it isn’t all about green trees and endangered animals – we ALL rely on the Amazon Rainforest because deforestation accounts for around 15% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Not only that but forests ABSORB greenhouse gases. Latest research, carried out at Australia’s national climate research centre in Canberra, shows that wooded areas across the planet soak up an astonishing ONE THIRD of the fossil fuels released into the atmosphere each year, some 2.4 billion tonnes of carbon.
Up to one tenth of all species on Earth live in the Amazon, including threatened animals like the jaguar. Forests are also a critical source of food, shelter and livelihoods, which support more than one billion people worldwide.
You can help by donating money – just £3 per month, the price of a couple of cups of your favourite takeout coffee, can sponsor an acre of Rainforest or adopt a jaguar. It’s a great time to give because Sky will match donations pound for pound to their campaign target of £4 million.
If you don’t have money to spare then why not do some fundraising? You could arrange a pub quiz, organise a dress down day at work or get fit with a sponsored bike ride – there are some great ideas and all the information you need on the “Guide to Fundraising“.
To help raise awareness, encourage your children’s school to take part in the Sky Rainforest Rescue School Challenge. It’s a great opportunity for students to learn to take action to save our precious rainforests. It covers awareness how many of our every day lifestyle choices – the food we eat, the things we buy and the energy we use impacts the rainforests and climate.
As the great saying goes “Think globally, act locally”. Here are 4 ways you can help protect the rainforests at home:
Purchase forest friendly products (look for the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) stamp)
Switch to recycled paper products
Stop illegal logging
Help the WWF tackle illegal logging by asking your local council to source only sustainable wood
Support Sky Rainforest Rescue
Donate money, fundraise or help raise awareness for this important project
What about you – did you realise just how important the rainforests were to all of us?
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