How can we protect rainforests?
1 Answer
How you protect rainforests depends on whether you live in/near one or if you're looking for ways to help from abroad.
Explanation:
How you protect rainforests depends on whether you live in/near one or if you're looking for ways to help from abroad.
Abroad:
One of the main ways you can protect rainforests is by being an aware consumer. Know where your products come from and the amount of environmental damage consuming/harvesting does. Buying wood products from forests that are sustainably harvested is one way you can be an aware consumer. This typically means making sure the wood did not come from a rainforest, as most if not all sustainable certificates for rainforests are either fraudulent or do not ensure sustainability (see here).
Supporting rainforest friendly nonprofits is another method of protecting rainforests. This can be done whether the rainforest is 100 km away or on another continent. Organizations such as The Rainforest Foundation and the Rainforest Action Network fight to protect indigenous lands and put pressure on companies exploiting rainforests. Donating your time or money to such nonprofits (after you research them and make sure you know where your money is going) is another way of protecting rainforests.
In-situ:
If you live in a region that has rainforests, one of the most effective things you can often do to protect them is to vote for legislation and representatives who will protect the land. Voting for environmentally green policies, educating your friends, and showing up to vote can go a long ways (this is very generalized-local politics and governance can make supporting green policies much more difficult in reality).
