Prohibiting the Destruction of Rain Forests (Other (Not Listed) Sample)

Prohibiting the Destruction of Rain Forests
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Forests are the Lungs of the Earth. Should the Rain Forests Destruction Be Prohibited?
From the perspective of their beneficial impact on planet earth, it is logical though inaccurate, to describe rain forests as the planet’s lungs. This brief discussion summarizes the key reasons justifying the prohibition of rain forests’ destruction. In 1985, the media initiated what Moran (1998) describes as a "momentum," describing Amazon’s deforestation as a destruction of "the lungs of the world, (which) contribute large net amounts of oxygen to our atmosphere" (p. 10). This argument has a valuable foundation, despite an incorrect one. Rain forests are perfectly located along the earth’s equator, occupying nearly 7% of the earth’s land mass. During photosynthesis, the trees convert carbon dioxide accumulated in the atmosphere to oxygen, a replica mechanism to that of humans who largely exhale carbon dioxide and consume oxygen. Rain forests in Ecuador, Indonesia, Congo, Brazil, and elsewhere, contribute to the atmospheric balance that is critically essential for sustaining life on the planet (Laurance, 1997).
However, terming the forests as the lungs of the earth is however an exaggeration, given that rain forests only contribute "little net oxygen additions to the atmosphere" (Moran, 1998, p. 10). Nonetheless, while rain forests are not the lungs of the earth, the phrase captivates a reality that humans cannot ignore. Rain forests as a source of contemporary medicines (Newman, 1994), and help sustain biodiversity in the planet, explaining why they host the highest number of plant and animal species in the globe (Laurance, 1997). Rain forests help conserve humidity in the atmosphere, sustain requisite moisture in the earth surface, mitigate against potentially destructive floods, and protects the soil from erosion (Lawrence & Vandecar, 2015).
As the world population increases, nations face the reality of increased consumption of firewood and timber. Further, industrial development has necessitated a progressive replacement of firewood and timber consumption increases with cities, roads, and residential units. Earthquakes in Japan and Haiti, or the Tsunami in Thailand are historical events that only affirm what will happen if the destruction of rain forests is not prohibited. The world has no option than to prohibit the destruction of rain forests. In conclusion, therefore, although rain forests are not the planet’s lungs, the world need increased awareness on the realities of progressive glob...