Save the Earth

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Save the Earth

• How you can help the
• rainforests and the
• climate

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• Rainforests cover only 6 of the Earths
  surface, yet they are home to over half the
  species of plants and animals in the world. 

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Layers of Life

• Emergent trees
• Canopy (most animals live here)
• Understory (not much sunlight)
• Forest Floor (bugs big animals live here)

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Canopy and emergent trees
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The understory
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Who lives in the rainforest?
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What food and medicines come from the
rainforests?

• Coconuts, figs, oranges, brazil nuts, lemons,
  grapefruit, coffee, bananas, guavas, pineapples,
  mangos, vanilla, sugar, tomatoes, corn, avocados,
  rice, squash, yams, pepper, chocolate, cinnamon,
  cloves, ginger, cashews, eggplant, and much, much
  more.
• Lots of medicines- 1 out of 4 ingredients in
  medicines come from rainforest plants and 70 of
  all plants that are known to fight cancer come
  from the rainforest.

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What things do we use that come from rainforest
trees?

• Paper, pencils, furniture, buildings
• Oils, rubber, insecticides, fuel, paint, varnish,
  soaps, shampoo, perfume, cosmetics and more

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Rainforests help stabilize the climate because
they

• release oxygen
• absorb carbon dioxide
• help form and circulate rainclouds. This is
  similar to how your heart pumps blood through-out
  your body. Thats why the Amazon rainforest is
  sometimes called the heart of the world.

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How Much is Enough?
Forests 10,000 years ago
Forests today
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Rainforests are being cut down at a rate of six
football fields a minute. Can you see why?
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Main threats to the rainforests

• Land is cleared for cows, or for growing food to
  feed cows.
• Logging for wood and other tree products.

• Soy and palm oil plantations for bio-fuels, cow
  feed, hydrogenated oils, and cooking oils.
• Climate Change!

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Why is our climate changing?

• Normally, when the suns rays hit the Earth, most
  bounce away.

• Now with so much pollution, the suns rays get
  trapped. They cant bounce away as much.

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Where does this pollution (called Green House
Gasses or GHG) come from?

• Carbon Dioxide
• Coal Fired Power Plants
• Cars
• Deforestation
• Natural Gas
• Producing cement
• Methane
• Coal Fired Power Plants
• Cars
• Garbage
• Livestock farming
• Melting Permafrost

• Nitrous Oxide
• Coal Fired Power Plants
• Cars
• Fertilizers
• Burning forests

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Problems with climate change

• Melting ice
• Rising sea levels
• Crazy weather
• Floods
• Droughts
• Lack of food and water
• Species extinction
• Diseases
• Rainforests dry up

• Animals and plant species become extinct

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What future can we create instead?

• Climate change and deforestation can still be
  stopped. We can create a different kind of world.
  What world do you want to create?

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How we can do it!

• Stop buying and using so much stuff.
• Use less energy when you do use stuff.
• Try not to throw any stuff away.

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Get around without cars!
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Make your voice heard!

• Ask the groups who are causing the most
  climate change and deforestation to stop (write
  letters, make banners, call them etc.)

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Sample letter

• Day, Month YearMs. Patricia A. Woertz,
  CEOArcher Daniels Midland Company4666 Faries
  ParkwayDecatur IL 62526 USADear Ms. WoertzI
  have been learning about the effects of
  industrial agriculture on the rainforests,
  climate and people around the world, and I am
  asking you to do everything in your power to help
  us create a safe and just environment for our
  future. I want to make sure that no more
  tropical ecosystems are destroyed to make your
  products, and that the people who live near your
  soy and palm oil plantations are treated fairly
  and have access to clean water, land, and food.
• This is very important to me.  Thank you in
  advance for doing everything you can to support
  human rights and the environment.Sincerely,
  YOUR NAME YOUR SCHOOL

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Support Indigenous Peoples

• Raise money to send to Indigenous communities
  who are working to protect their forest homes
  through RANs Protect-An-Acre program.
• DID YOU KNOW?
• Forest communities and Indigenous peoples do
  a better job of conserving forests than
  governments or donors.
• Uninhabited protected forests, like those
  bought through Buy-an-Acre programs are often
  illegally cut-down and dont respect the needs
  and rights of the surrounding communities.

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Ways to raise money for Protect-an-Acre

• Organize a garage sale or car wash.
• Present a slide show, a lecture, or a play on the
  rainforest.
• Have a dance or party.
• Have a walk-a-thon or a roll-, spell-, write-,
  run-a-thon and gather pledges.
• Sell baked goods, T-shirts, bumper stickers,
  buttons, posters, hand-made magnets or reusable
  shopping bags.
• Recycle bottles and cans.

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• This classroom of New York City fifth-graders
  raised more than 800 for PAA by holding a
  five-mile walk-a-thon around Central Park.

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What will you do to care for our Earth home?
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Stay in Touch!

• Visit www.rainforestheroes.com
• and www.ryseup.org where you can
• Join the Kids Action Team (KAT) and our youth
  network, RYSE.
• Sign up for the e-newsletter
• Get more information
• Email us questions or ideas to education_at_ran.org