Pretty much everyone's heard about the Amazon rainforest, it's the largest eco system of it's kind on the planet and arguably the most important. The plants of the Amazon rainforest are also arguably some of the most important on Earth for a variety of reasons.
Do You Like to Breath Fresh Air?
The Amazon rainforest is often referred to as the lungs of the planet. Something like a quarter of the worlds fresh air or oxygen is produced as a result of the massive proliferation of plants in the Amazon rainforest. The rainforest is a continuous recycler of carbon dioxide into oxygen. So with out all of the plants growing in the Amazon we would all be reaching a whole lot deeper for a good breath of fresh air, if fact we might be choking from a lack of good air.
How About Having Enough Fresh Water?
I'd say another all important commodity we need right up there next to fresh air is fresh water. Turns out that the Amazon rainforest supplies the world with up to a third of the fresh water in the form of rain. Rain makes for more plant growth, that's obvious. There are now statistical studies of satellite images that show more plants also make for more rain. The plants of the Amazon rainforest are very important for all us humans.
Don't Forget About the Incredible Benefits of the Medicine and Nutrition
The plants in the Amazon are responsible for a lot of the life saving natural plant medicines today as well as the key ingredients in a good 25% or more of the pharmaceutic drugs being marketed in the world. There are thousands of species of plants in the rainforest and only as little as three percent have been studied for their medicinal value. There is a treasure trove of potential beneficial medicines for humanity yet to be discovered. The nutrition for health available from the Amazon is also a vast potential that is barely been taped. There are plants species that have properties that can make a huge difference with everything from cancer to diabetes to depression.
The Biggest Shame on Humanity Would be Letting This Eco System be Destroyed
Many scientist claim that if the Amazon reaches 40% deforestation it will reach the tipping point and become to dry to support the eco system. 20 % has already been deforested. We just can't let this valuable world resource for sustainability be trashed for short term profit by short sided thinkers. It is up to the wealthy people and countries to make a stand. Getting the awareness of the importance of taking some kind of action on an individual level is key. If people consciously chose to only buy products sustainably harvested and produced from the Amazon that would go a long way toward slowing down the destruction. Contribute to organizations that are actively working toward preservation and companies that support the sustainable use of this resource.
Saving the plants of the Amazon Rainforest should be of concern to every living human whether you live in the Amazon or not.
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