OPINION - Johanne Pillay, a volunteer with Greenpeace Africa Durban, answers the question: Why should I - who lives in Durban - be concerned, informed and keeping tabs on the Amazon situation?
* The Amazon Rainforest is the only rainforest we have left in terms of size and diversity. It is a rich ecosystem of different flora and fauna species. Scientists believe that less than half of 1% of flowering plant species have been studied in detail for their medicinal potential. As the Amazon rainforest biome slowly shrinks in size, so does the richness of wildlife found in this beautiful forest along with plants and animals that remain undiscovered.
The Amazon is humanities key to medicine that actually cures. At the present rate of damage, we are not only watching the forest being destroyed but the countless cures to humanities many ailments being lost forever. According to Profession Yadvinder Malhi, Professor of Ecosystem Science at the University of Oxford, the forest will take about 20 to 40 years if its allowed to re-generate.
* The Amazon rainforest is home to around 40 000 plant species, 1 300 bird species, 3 000 types of fish, 430 mammals, and over 2.5 million insects. Deforestation is a leading cause of the Spix's Macaw's (the Blue Mccaw from the movie, Rio) disappearance from its natural habitat.
In September 1989, Time Magazine ran a piece “Torching the Amazon”, which laid bare the scary facts of extinctions that were noted (this was 30 years ago). Regional extinction for 38 species, including 10 mammal species, 20 bird species and eight amphibian species. I don’t think there is a scientist brave enough to recalculate and assess the present damage that has been done to the Amazon Forest and the countless extinctions that have occurred in the last 30 years
* We grew up hearing that we only have one planet, let's protect is. We need to ask ourselves, how much have we done to protect this earth?
Greenpeace challenges schools and corporates to not only embrace Arbour Day events but to make tree planting and environmental accountability their top priority – we only have one earth – and no amount of money will be able to repair some of the damage caused if we don’t act now.
What can you do to help?
* Donate to Rainforest Action Network to protect an acre of the Amazonian rainforest.
* Sign Greenpeace's petition telling the Brazilian government to save the Amazon rainforest and protect the lands of indigenous and traditional communities.
* Stay informed: You can read more on what Greenpeace has to say via
*additional information referenced from Gaia's lungs: Are rainforests inhaling Earth's excess carbon dioxide?" and "Birdlife International