Deforestation

  Speaking in very general terms, three major topics have very strong implications about humanity's future, in my opinion. These are the grand daddy stories so to speak. The first is the exploration of space and what we are learning about exoplanets and such. The second is global warming, as this will shape how we exist on Earth for centuries to come. The third is mankind's overall well being - physical, emotional, and especially spiritual and all of the conditions and circumstances that effect it. Stuff like the power plays in Washington and fighting over the alleged direction of the country fall under these categories, not really above them.

  Deforestation is a very big deal. Trees hold CO2 and when they are destroyed that CO2 doesn't disappear, it goes back into the atmosphere. So here we have a double whammy. On one hand the forests are destroyed for big farming especially meat production, for the natural resources which make their way into the market place in one form or another, and for urban development and other human habitat expansion. On the other hand, we are simultaneously removing an essential lifeline in maintaining the environment when deforestation occurs. The primary goal in deforestation is to increase wealth.

  In a sense the practice of deforestation hits on all three of my above mentioned overall topics. Deforestation makes the world that much more barren, that much more of an environment less hospitable to living beings not just humans. And so the idea occurs to people that somehow we need to find a better planet because we are exploiting this one to pieces. The second topic is global warming, and we know how deforestation affects that already. And the third is humanity's overall well being because in our drive to create wealth and prosperity, we simultaneously in the case of deforestation reduce our environment. We sell the ground out right from under our feet to create wealth and this changes our sense of being.

Guardian UK: Amazon deforestation increased by one-third in past year - Satellite analysis reveals that since 2000 an area equal to 50 football pitches has been destroyed every minute since 2000