RECYCLING

            

             RECYCLING -the activity of treating materials or products using a special industrial process so that they can be used again.     ABOUT RECYCLING

DEFORESTATION

WHAT IS DEFORESTATION?

       Forests have been an integral part of the life of man since time immemorial. They are truly life-giving. They help in bringing rain and increase the fertile strength of the earth. They check the danger of floods by absorbing rain water. This absorbed water gradually goes back to the whole environment. Forests prevent the erosion of the land, rule out droughts and check the spread of the desert.

     But as the civilization developed, the man started cutting trees to meet his needs. The forest continued to be harvested and it had an impact on the environment. Today, in the blind race for development in the world, forests are being cut down rapidly, due to which the balance of environment is deteriorating and the danger for the survival of life on Earth is increasing.

        Forest is a broad area that is fully covered with trees that improves the entire biological potential of the environment. Trees have a greater role in maintaining the environmental equilibrium than any other component of nature. They play the role of a mute but living guardian in the enrichment of the useful elements for nourishment of life. Trees and plants protect us against global warming by absorbing extra and harmful carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. In a year, trees spread over one acre absorb as much carbon as a car produces covering a distance of 26000 miles, on an average.

     Deforestation occurs when forests are converted to non-forest areas without making adequate forestry for urbanization, agriculture and other reasons. It implies permanent destruction of forests and woodlands for domestic, industrial and mechanical needs. At one time the vast majority of the earth was covered with forests, but today its size is diminishing day by day.

CAUSES OF DEFORESTATION

               Since the beginning of agriculture, there has been a reduction of 40% in the forests worldwide. The three-fourths of the loss occurred in the past two centuries, because the land was cleaned to meet the demands of agriculture and wood.

                      Besides, the cutting of trees has been going on for years for the purpose of development work, residential needs, industries and mineral exploitation.

Trees are cut for domestic fuel, wood, coal business, furniture and other physical resources. Despite various laws and regulations, deforestation continues due to unscientific and lopsided development, population explosion and growing materialistic culture.

                    Sadly, the prevailing model of development is dependent on indiscriminate exploitation of resources. According to environmental experts, the activities of human beings have accelerated the deterioration of nature and it has seen unusual rise in the last 50 years. To meet the immediate needs of physical prosperity of man, indiscriminate cutting of trees began and its far-reaching consequences were ignored.

EFFECTS OF DEFORESTATION

        Deforestation has caused great damage to the environment. The entire ecological cycle has become disturbed, which is visible everywhere in the form of various types of destruction.

Untimely changes in weather, excessive rainfall, drought, etc are the ill effects of destruction of trees, which are integral to maintenance of natural balance.

            There are new additions in the series of nature disasters: landslides and soil erosion.

A large part of the fertile land is being lost every year. Along with that, innumerable people are losing their lives every year. Cutting of forests is increasing carbon dioxide in the environment. Destruction of forests is proving to be poisonous to the environment with two billion tonnes of extra carbon dioxide dissolved in the atmosphere every year.

            Increasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, deforestation and global burning of fossil fuels can cause large-scale climate change. If the level of carbon above the natural protection level goes on increasing per year due to human activities, then it will almost be doubled in 40 years. Deforestation and degradation in their area have contributed about 20 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), although forests absorb them, if properly managed. Global warming has increased due to ruthless deforestation, and the balance of nature is deteriorating. 

              Many creatures are facing extinction. As per an estimate, seven million hectares of forest area is being destroyed worldwide in the name of development every year. It is harming the ozone layer considered to be the protector of life. According to ‘Nature Geoscience’, the loss of the ozone layer has increased the number of certain types of very short-lived substances (VSLS) which is extremely dangerous to the existence of wildlife and human beings.

              Scientists say that these special types of VSLS are ninety percent responsible for damaging ozone. Due to environmental pollution as a fall-out of deforestation, there has been an increase in human diseases. As a result of the increase in global temperature, there is a decline of 20 to 25 percent in crop production. The Earth’s fertility is decreasing. One of the major utilities of forests is that they absorb water in large quantities during flooding quickly. But due to deforestation on a large scale there are no trees to absorb water as a result of which there is a loss of many lives in this way.

               The roots of the trees bind it to the soil and make it underlying bedrock. That’s how the trees are getting off the soil from getting clogged or by natural agents like water. When the trees are uprooted, there will be nothing to hold the soil together to increase the risk of landslides which can seriously threaten people’s safety and damage their properties.

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