Climate change and deforestation have many things in common. Deforestation is the clearing or removal of trees, forests, and forests. People cut down trees to use the land and the wood.

Without trees, the carbon dioxide that the trees were supposed to absorb enters the atmosphere, warming the planet.

So, what are the deadly causes of deforestation? Humans, to put it simply. Millions of kilometres of forest are being lost for our short-term gains to support high consumption rates. Farming, cattle grazing, mining, and drilling account for more than half of all deforestation. The remainder is accounted for by forestry practices, wildfire, and, to a lesser extent, urbanization. Another forest killer is logging; countless trees are felled each year to provide us with the wood and paper we need daily. Unfortunately, not all deforestation is purposeful. As we see virtually every day in the news, forest fires caused by a combination of natural and human factors pose a hazard to the surrounding life.

Let us look at the three most deadly causes of deforestation:

1. Food. 

The truth is that food production—particularly the production of beef, soy, and palm oil—is the primary driver of deforestation. The idea that solely beef contributes to deforestation is untrue. Although forests are indeed being cleared for cattle grazing, soy is the main crop responsible for approximately half of the world’s deforestation. This soy is fed to animals, primarily chickens, and pigs, in amounts of more than 80%. Therefore, meat production contributes significantly to global deforestation without our knowledge.

Most individuals now believe that going vegan is the only way to resolve this. Yes, a plant-based diet is undoubtedly healthier for the environment and your health, but deforestation may be concealed in many store foods, not just meat. from chocolate bars to cookies and bread that include palm oil. Consequently, giving up meat is not the best option.

Boycotting palm oil will have little effect on halting deforestation. Palm oil, found in nearly half of the packaged products in supermarkets, from pizza to deodorant, has caused massive deforestation, putting endangered animals like the orangutan at risk. The main issue is not the crop itself but how and where it is farmed. Palm is a remarkable crop in many aspects, being both efficient and productive. To produce the same amount of vegetable oil from a similar yield, 4 to 10 times more land may be required. Boycotting palm could thus result in more deforestation rather than fewer. The solution is for companies to utilize only sustainable palm oil that respects and protects people and the environment.

2. Poverty.

Another primary cause of deforestation is that hundreds of millions of subsistence farming communities farm and manage their livestock in environmentally harmful ways. Every year, these agricultural operations deforest and deteriorate the soils, pastures, and lands on which so many families rely. It begins with forest-covered soils that are cut for agriculture and gradually degrade into the desert. Farmers are sinking deeper into poverty as they destroy the ground on which their future depends. Hundreds of millions of farmers make less than 1.50 dollars each day. They have difficulty growing enough food to suit their nutritional requirements. They have already cut down all their trees, creating most of the world’s deforestation. We cannot continue allowing farmers to utilize harmful farming and herding techniques that destroy the soils on which their livelihoods rely.

We need to plant more trees. We need to plant trees because we help real people make more money and grow nutritious foods when we do so. We help children with their schooling when they don’t spend all day searching for wood fuel. We can change lives just by planting trees!

3. Mining.

Local resources are being destroyed, and the land is being degraded due to the increasing demand for natural resources worldwide. Since forests are mineral-rich, large areas are being destroyed, which causes deforestation.

For the miners to dig through the dirt and find the natural minerals they’re looking for, a sizable area of land must be cleared before the mining operation can begin. The natural vegetation must be uprooted or removed to conduct mining operations. This is done to make room for transportation facilities that will allow the miners to easily access the site and facilitate the shipment of the extracted materials. This practice is a significant contributor to deforestation.

The gold dredging process is one example. The water gets polluted during this process because politan is released into the water when gold is cleaned. Chemicals such as mercury cyanide, sulfuric acid, and arsenic seep into the soil, rendering it unfit for plants.

Now that we have discussed the top three deadly causes of deforestation, we need to analyze ourselves. Most people think that the bad guys use giant machines to clear all the trees for profit, and the good guys are the organizations or volunteers that speak up and say that what is being done is wrong. But have you ever pondered which group you belong to?

The people who cut down trees work for somebody and have to earn money to take care of their families. But at home, most of our furniture is wood that comes from Amazon, so without even knowing it, we could be directly contributing to deforestation and climate change, making us the bad guys!