The
destruction of rainforests has been part of our environmental consciousness for decades, but the hard facts and figures
in 2005 on the rate of
destruction are worse than ever, as this critical ecosystem continues to shrink at a staggering rate: at least 50 million acres a year are lost; 100 species become extinct every day due to tropical deforestation; 70% of the plants identified as useful in cancer treatment are found only in
rainforests, yet fewer than 1% of tropical forest species have been examined; all the primary rainforests in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Haiti have been destroyed already – the list goes on. The Rainforest Action Network “campaigns for the forests, their inhabitants and the natural systems that sustain life by transforming the global marketplace through education, grassroots organizing and non-violent direct action”, and is an excellent starting point for accessing Internet resources on rainforests and related conservation issues, as well as offering plenty of opportunities for individual or group action.
The main sections are Action, Campaigns, Media, Teachers and Students, and Contribute. Included in the first of these are e-mail alerts, upcoming actions, and an Activist Toolkit; if you’re interested in working, studying or volunteering in this field, this is an excellent place to get information on internships, job opportunities, volunteer work, and other ways to get involved and take action in helping to save this vital global resource. You’ll also find out about ongoing projects and campaigns, Breaking News (currently including illegal logging, protests against Russian oil and gas projects), Featured News, and News Releases, as well as all related archival material. There is an excellent links section and a blog on topical issues (also with search function and archives).
From here you can also click on Rainforestweb.org (the World Rainforest Information Portal), the essential one-stop site for accessing any category of information on rainforests, from indigenous peoples and biodiversity to the causes behind rainforest destruction and the latest news and campaigns worldwide.