Destruction and denial

I can hardly believe that the Atlantic Forest—such an incredible ecosystem—has been almost completely obliterated by mankind. What a total lack of consideration for the natural world that we so desperately depend upon... Only 5-7% of this beautiful environ remains and the remnants are fragmented, polluted, and rapidly disappearing. Preservation projects are under funded because we’d rather spend our budgets on warfare, fancy homes, and private planes.

How can this be? It just doesn’t make sense.

We waded into the forest today to measure biodiversity by examining plant species within 2x2 meter sections. In our total 8x8 meter plot, we found about 80 different species! (And there could be even more, since none of us really knew what we were doing.)

Eighty species! In an area smaller than my parents’ living room! Amazing. Just amazing. And since more than 50% of the species found in the Atlantic Forest are endemic, when the forests are gone, these species will be gone too.

This looming prognosis fills me with such an immense sadness and I struggle to understand why the rest of the world can’t feel the same. If we wipe it out, the Atlantic Forest will NEVER come back. It will be gone forever! How can we deprive future generations of such natural majesty? How can we deprive so many plants and animals their right to live on this planet???

It just doesn’t make any sense…