The Amazon rain forest provides more than 20 percent of the world's oxygen by continually recycling carbon dioxide into oxygen. Rain forests used to cover 14 percent of the Earth; relentless deforestation is responsible for the measly 6 percent left. At the present rate of deforestation, Rain Forest Facts reports that rain forests will dwindle to zero in the next 40 years. The World Wildlife Foundation estimates that by the year 2030 more than 50 percent of the Amazon rain forest will be gone due to deforestation and global warming.
With the destruction of rain forests, millions of plants and animal species that depend on this carefully organized ecosystem are lost annually. These animals and plants are perceived to hold the key to curing diseases and providing the world with a sustainable food supply.
Nearly 70 percent of prescription medicines are derived from plant materials and only 1 percent of all plants in the rain forest have been tested by the scientific community. Medications extracted from medicinal plants found in rain forests include treatments for malaria, glaucoma and leukemia. The scientific community believes that rain forests could hold the cure for cancer, AIDS and other diseases that afflict humanity.
Rainforest Facts reports that there are more than 3,000 varieties of fruits in the rain forest and the Western world uses only 200. Indigenous people consume 2,000 varieties. The most common foods found in today's kitchens originated in the rain forest, most of these are considered nutritionally sound because they contain anti-oxidants and vital nutrients that aid in cell protection and repair.
The most common examples include oranges, avocados, figs, tomatoes, coconuts, potatoes and rice. Many spices that originated in rain forests are common in Western diets, some examples include vanilla, black pepper, ginger and cinnamon.
Preserving the rain forest could provide an endless source of seeds and plantings to rebuild areas devastated by floods and other natural disasters.
Properly harvested sources of food in rain forests could provide fish, nuts, grains and spices to feed the entire world. Renewal requires carefully managed harvesting that protects the environment from destructive human interference. Examples include logging, pesticides and chemical fertilizers.
Indigenous people have knowledge that has been largely untapped by the scientific community. Preserving the knowledge of the indigenous people requires preserving their environment and way of life. The indigenous Amazon population in the 1500s was estimated to be between 6 and 9 million people. It is estimated that there are 250,000 indigenous people left in the Amazon forest today.
Preserving natural resources that provide something as essential as oxygen, requires protecting a unique ecosystem whose full potential is vaguely understood. One example is the Trumpet Tree. Various cultures use the Trumpet Tree to treat snake bites, high-blood pressure and diabetes. Studies are under way to examine the potential to treat cancer and obesity.
