Deforestation

environment · forests · climate

Earth's forest loss. Right now, about 31% of Earth's land is covered by forests, but that's way less than before farms and cities spread out. We've lost two-thirds of the forests that used to be here.

Trees disappearing fast. On average, 2,400 trees are cut down every single minute around the world. That's almost 3.5 million trees every single day.

Rainforests hit hardest. Tropical rainforests are being cleared the fastest, especially the old-growth ones that have been growing for centuries. These ancient forests are home to incredible plants and animals, and they store huge amounts of carbon that helps regulate our climate.

Land gets new uses. When forests are cleared, the land is usually turned into farms, ranches, pastures for cows, or cities and towns. What used to be wild forest becomes space for people and agriculture.

Half the damage recent. Incredibly, half of all the forests we've lost were cut down in just the last 100 years, showing how fast deforestation has sped up with modern technology.