Deforestation

The Devastation of Deforestation
According to National Geographic, forests cover about thirty percent of the Earth’s land area. This percentage is falling drastically. Deforestation is the process of forests being cleared through logging and/or burning to use for timber or to use the area for other purposes. Many estimate that the Earth’s rainforests will be completely wiped out in 100 years. The World Wildlife Fund is the leading organization in the fight to prevent deforestation. Along with protesting, petitioning, and working with companies and governmental organizations to fight deforestation, the WWF has over the years created a huge amount of activist- art; ads with the aim to raise awareness about various issues concerning nature, with deforestation being a primary focus. Deforestation is not only harmful to plants and animals, but is also negatively impacting human life as well. This devastating issue has numerous other consequences that many are not aware of. The World Wildlife Fund has created through the medium of photoshop a plethora of ads that are both deeply moving and clever, with the goal in mind to heighten our consciousness and raise awareness about the devastating effects that deforestation has on our planet. Some of them simple, and some of them being more complex, these ads are posted all over the world. An ad that I found particularly fascinating was one that showed

a cut down tree having fallen on the WWF mascot- a panda; with the panda expressing a face of pain and discontent. In the corner a quote says “Deforestation in China threatens giant pandas.” Deforestation has a major impact on climate change. Deforestation is responsible for about twenty percent of greenhouse gas emissions every year. The World Wildlife Fund addresses this impact of deforestation as well, focusing on REDD+ (reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation); a mechanism that serves the dual purpose of reducing emissions of greenhouse gases to...