Comparing our Earth thousands of years before and to the
present, our planet is very different. Thousands of years before, our planet is
greener, is healthier and is also more inhabitable. However thousands of years
after, the planet is polluted, is dangerous for living things and uninhabitable
for some. This is because humans are polluting our planet. The ecosystem cannot
work as it is supposed to work because human beings are disrupting the cycle,
in exchange for convenience and technology, bodies of water are being polluted,
plant and animal habitat are being sacrificed and forests are being cut down.
This is called deforestation and its effects on the Earth as well as earth’s inhabitants
such as humans are very harsh.
The Earth is filled with trees for a reason. We can say that
trees are the blood of the earth. Similar to human beings, if human beings lose
blood, we become unhealthy and to a certain point, we die. This can be also
applies to earth. When Earth loses its trees, the planet becomes unhealthy and
to a certain point, the planet may die. Along with its inhabitants,
Deforestation is a reality and it happens all around the world. People do not
really care at all about the reality of deforestation. What exactly are the
effects of deforestation? Recently, it is common for countries to experience
widespread flooding especially during the rainy season. One cause of these flooding’s
is the lack of trees. Usually during rains, trees sip the water to prevent
flooding. But lack of trees means that the waters that rains bring will be
accumulated because there are no trees to drain the water.
During the monsoon season, flooding is not the only hazard
that people face. Landslides are more dangerous than flooding because in
flooding you still have time to react and to reach higher ground, but in
landslides, in just a few seconds, you will be buried under tons of soil. What
exactly causes landslides? Landslides are most common in the mountains. Mountains,
which are bald, do not have anything to hold the soil and rocks intact.
Therefore in the presence of heavy rain, the soil becomes damp and wet.
Therefore, the soil becomes unstable as well and prone to landslides. Compared
to mountains, which are rich trees, landslides in those mountains are almost
impossible.
We can also say that deforestation can create storms. Storms,
which are one of the causes of landslides and flooding, Lack of trees in one of
the reason for global warming, normally, the carbon dioxide that we release in
the air is absorbed by trees and turned into oxygen. However, lack of trees and
huge amounts of carbon dioxide is the main cause of global warming. One of the
effects of global warming is a very strong storm. Similar to the recent storm
that hit the Philippines which was the strongest storm ever recorded, Typhoon
Haiyan. By this we can see that it is all a chain reaction. The cutting of
trees is one of the causes of global warming. Storms and typhoons is the
effects of global warming, Floods and landslides are the effects of those
storms and trees which are cut down are the ones which are supposed to prevent flooding’s
and landslides during storms.
Is it bad to cut trees? Since the ancient times people have
been using trees as a material for shelter as well as tools. It is not bad to
cut trees however, there is a saying that anything in excess is dangerous.
Excessive cutting of trees is dangerous. What makes trees so valuable is the
fact that tens of hundreds of years are needed to grow these trees. Also, small
trees are very vulnerable. In a planet where industrialization and developments
in technology in inevitable, cutting down of trees are also inevitable, however,
balance is the key. Balance between industrialization and nature. Some
companies, when they have developmental projects and trees should to be cut
down, they usually plant trees to replace the ones that they will cut. Usually
they say that they will plant ten trees in compensation for one tree that they
will cut down. The problem is that trees take many of years to grow. Also they
plant trees but do they take care of the trees that they plant and do they
monitor its development? Small trees are like babies during the first few years;
they need to be taken care of. They may plant ten thousand trees in replacement
for one thousand trees that they cut down but at the end of the day, only one
hundred trees may fully develop because they were not taken care of. Because of
the, effort of the people planting trees is wasted. Also the resources are also
wasted looking for seeds as well as the money used to buy these seeds as well
as water and fertilizers, which are also essential.
We do not fully feel the effects that lack of trees brings.
However, now the public is becoming more aware of the situation, the public is
now more aware of pollution, of global warming, of carbon dioxide, of
greenhouse gasses, of flooding’s and many more. Planting trees is similar to an
investment, you sacrifice something at first but in the long run, you will
greatly benefit from it. Yes at first trees are difficult to plant and are more
difficult to maintain, however in the long run, similar to investments trees
will be greatly beneficial to people. This is because of the fruits, of the
oxygen and the fact that trees give habitat to animals and people and most
important of all, prevents natural calamities such as landslides and floodings.
Why do people continue to cut trees? One reason for this is
that people are greedy. In exchange for trees, which are thousands of years
old, companies will build restaurants, resorts and hotels for profit. Make no
mistake these structures help the economy but thee are ways to keep a balance
between industrialization and nature.
One alternative is land reclamation. Land reclamation is the
process form creating new land from oceans, lakes and rivers. This process is usually
used by countries, which are small and have a limited amount of landmass. However
this method can also be used by countries, which want to preserve their natural
resources. Since the Philippines is an archipelago country and is surrounded by
bodies of water, land reclamation is very possible. This is already tried in
Pasay in which the ground where the Mall of Asia was built was reclaimed and it
was successful. No trees were also cut during the construction of this structure.
Another method is tree planting. Mountains and forests,
which are bald and have no trees anymore, can still be saved. If trees are
planted in those places and are taken care of, those mountains and forests can
still recover. Nature is not a machine, it is a living thing and it can recover
if put under the right conditions. Trees can be cut down for structures but
those trees needs to be replaced and those replacement should be taken care of.
These methods are the key to achieving balance between industrialization and
nature.
Recently, we can see all over the news about natural
calamities, about pollution choking countries such as China and New Zealand in
which smog choked their countries for days which disrupted their everyday lives
because of the hazards if pollution. But now, they are starting to take steps
to preserve their natural resources, to lower their pollution and to preserve
their trees. These things that they do are not very difficult, it is also not
expensive which means this can be done, our natural resources can be preserved,
we can lower pollution and we can take care of our trees, we just need the will
and the effort. Must we face the problems head on first before we make a
solution? Prevention is better that cure.
