Deforestation In Australia Essay

Causal Argument: Deforestation in Australia The recent urgency for climate action has resulted from a number of varying factors; Most of which are human induced activities. One of the most prevalent and damaging human activities that have led to the need for climate action is deforestation. Deforestation refers to “the decrease in forest areas across the world that are lost for other uses such as agricultural croplands, urbanization, or mining activities” (“What is Deforestation?”). This concern has most notably affected the country of Australia, with data showing that almost half of forest cover in Australia “has been cleared in the last two centuries, making it one of the worst developed countries for deforestation” (“Deforestation In Australia”).

As the World Economic Forum emphasizes with the Center for Global development infographic, forests play a vital role as carbon sinks. Trees in particular act as carbon sinks, taking in and storing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. When trees are taken out of their original homes, this stored carbon is being released into the atmosphere. This released carbon dioxide further contributes to global warming. Alarmingly, “Carbon emissions released by land clearing across Australia are equivalent to about a third of the total emissions released by all of the coal-fired power stations in the country” (“Deforestation In Australia”). As more and more trees are cut down, natural cycles on Earth are thrown into disarray. Rainfall patterns are reduced as a result of the lack of trees present to maintain the soil moisture to release into Earth’s atmosphere. Large amounts of carbon dioxide are instead released into Earth’s atmosphere as a result of the lack of trees to convert carbon dioxide to energy and oxygen. It has been recorded that, “Over the last century, Australia has warmed about 1.0 degree Centigrade (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit)” (Blue). If this trend continues, Australian life as we know it could cease to