学进去

As the world seeks to slow the pace of climate change and preserve wildlife, trees undoubtedly hold a major part of the answer. Yet the mass destruction of trees--deforestation-continues, sacrificing （牺牲）the long-term benefits of standing trees for short-term gain.

1．Since humans started cutting down forests, 46 percent of trees have been logged. About 17 percent of the Amazonian rainforest has been destroyed over the past 50 years, and losses recently have been on the rise.

So, what are the factors leading to deforestation? Farming, animal raising, mining, and drilling combined account for more than half of all deforestation.2．Plus logging operations, which provide the world^? s wood and paper products, cut down countless trees each year. Some loggers acting illegally even build roads to access more and more remote forests--which leads to further deforestation.

3．Some 250 million people living in forests depend on them for survival and income—many of them among the world's rural poor. Eighty percent of Earth's land animals live in forests and deforestation threatens many species.4．The South American rainforest, for example, influences regional and perhaps even global water cycles, which is key to the water supply in Brazilian cities and neighboring countries.

Luckily, a movement is under way to preserve existing forest ecosystems and restore lost tree cover. Organizations and activists are working to fight illegal mining and logging. As consumers, it makes sense to look for sustainably produced sources. 5．