The Amazon Rainforest

The Amazon Rainforest covers billions of acres and is home to millions of species and resources that help shape the world as we know it. Thousands of acres are destroyed each year to make room for the expansion of farmland so Brazil can increase its beef export. For every 1/4 pound of meat that comes from the Amazon, 55 acres were destroyed. The Amazon used to be the biggest most vivacious rainforest in the world but has rapidly started losing its size and species due to many causes. Many farmers are poor and will do anything to expand their land to help export more meat and make a better living. They get land that is usually given to them by the government, then they strip the land of trees and burn the rest. Did you know there is a difference between a man made fire and one that occurs naturally and how it affects the rainforest? Natural fires do strip the ground, shrubbery and small trees, but they do not normally grow big enough to destroy the canopies and vines, which are home to several thousands of the Amazon species. Man made fires on the other hand are usually fueled with gas and other flammable things, and grow huge in size and typically get out of hand and burn more rainforest then necessary. What do you think we can do to help protect the rainforest?