- Deforestation
- 13 views
Save Our Rainforests and Save Ourselves
We have a history of not knowing a good thing until it's gone. In ancient Greece the silphium plant was harvested as a female contraceptive, among other things, and was considered more valuable than its weight in silver. Eventually demand outstripped supply and about 1500 years ago it went extinct.
Today we are in danger of making a similar mistake. Tropical rainforests are home to 70% of the plants identified as having anti-cancer properties, and yet fewer than 5 percent of tropical forest plant species (and 0.1 percent of animal species) have been examined for their chemical compounds and medicinal value. In order to avoid the same fate as silphium we must take action towards curbing the deforestation of our planet's most biologically diverse areas.
Don't know where to start? Check out the above video for a quick look at our rainforests today.
