137 species of plants and animals become extinct every day in rainforests around the world. Some uses of the rainforest land, like those listed above, are very damaging to the rainforests' survival. These include treatments for serious diseases like cancer, heart disease, arthritis, and childhood leukemia. Destruction of forests is the second largest cause of global warming. Scientists believe that if global warming continues, it could cause serious problems like floods and droughts in different parts of the world.
Rainforests supply yummy foods.
Look to the rainforests for Brazil nuts, cocoa, coffee, bananas, yams, and many other foods and spices we enjoy every day. About one million people call the Amazon home. These people's ancestors have lived in the Amazon for hundreds of thousands of years, and the survival of their culture depends on the rainforest's survival. One of the biggest threats to the rainforest today is large-scale logging of rainforest trees. These include Mahogany, Teak, Rosewood, Sitka Spruce, and Western Red Cedar.