Rainforests are the world’s richest and most productive ecosystems, containing half of all living species on the planet. Yet many of these rainforest are destroyed every year. If there is something in the world so full of life and sheer beauty then why do we continue to destroy what is already there? Catholics have been among those slow to realize you cannot forever trash anything without paying the consequences. We have been polluting the oceans, depleting topsoils, junking hazardous wastes, opening ozone holes in the atmosphere, and throwing millions of tons of carbon into the air. Planet Earth is hurting; some say it is dying, if it goes so do its inhabitants. All Christians and non-Christians need to be engaged in some serious examination of conscience here.The rainforest is very important to the world for many reasons, most of them being very simple. One major reason is that the plants in the forest turn carbon dioxide into clean air, which helps to fight pollution. Also by absorbing carbon dioxide, the rainforests help deter the greenhouse effect. The plants and animals that can be found within the rainforest can provide us with food, fuel wood, shelter, jobs and medicine.Traditionally there were three major causes of destruction to the rainforest: farming, ranching and logging. Farmers in the rainforest countries are often poor and cannot afford to buy land. Instead, the farmers clear the rainforest to grow their crops. Because the tropical rainforest soil is so poor in nutrients, farmers cannot reuse the same land year after year. In the years to follow the farmers just clear more land, destroying the forest piece by piece.Ranching also causes destruction of the rainforests. Ranchers clear large areas of rainforest to become pastures for their cattle. This land does not cost them very much, so they can sell cattle at low prices. This in turn is all very profitable, ranchers continue to clear rainforest land...
