What Can One Person Do To Save Forests?

The issue of deforestation is one that is not easy to separate from emotions. When a forest is cleared, it is not only the trees that are removed from that area, but also the species of wildlife who make their home in that area. There is plenty of evidence to suggest that creeping deforestation is risking the extinction of several endangered species – and against the power of big business, it is easy to come to the conclusion that we as individuals are powerless. What can we do to prevent the environmental disaster that seems to be unfolding before our eyes?

It is true that big business has a major advantage over the individual and over the environmental movement in terms of the battle around deforestation. Big business can pay for what it is doing and paint the environmental movement as being unreasonable and anti-progress. It is fashionable to be skeptical about the threat to our environment. But there is so much at stake here that we need to be ready to stand up to such slurs. By awareness campaigns it is possible to expose the worst offenders, and cause them to consider the damage they are potentially doing to their bottom line.

If enough people make clear that the ongoing health of the planet is a much greater concern than being able to source cheap meat for hamburgers then companies will have to consider that they risk alienating their target consumers. One person cannot do much against a huge company, but by working together it is possible to keep the best interests of our planet firmly in the public view and ensure its continuing protection.