Around the world, countless cities and countries are being destroyed and damaged by climate change and global warming. Ecosystems are shattering and the air temperatures are skyrocketing to an all-time high. In class, we are currently reading the novel A Bigger Picture: My Fight to Bring a New African Voice to the Climate Crisis by Vanessa Nakate. Following a young woman's journey to becoming a climate change activist and leader for the country of Africa. In this reading, she mentions the dangers and threats facing The Congo, and how little awareness there is covering the destruction of this forest. In this article, we will cover the current problems and issues in The Congo from climate change.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a country in Africa mostly occupied with rich biodiversity and rainforests. Countless resources and supplies come from the Congo Basin that we use in everyday life like cobalt, copper, and lumber. This causes a high demand for processing and factories here for the production and development of goods. However, due to climate change, this essential ecosystem and forest is being threatened and destroyed every day. It is currently estimated that every year, we lose over 108 million trees in the Congo. Deforestation and clear-cutting are responsible for the vast acres of tree stumps and new building lots for construction. While more of humanity migrates to these lands, the forests are cut down to make way for housing and other buildings.
Trees act as the lungs of the Earth, inhaling carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and producing oxygen. This cycle has been going on for millions of years, however, as society continues to slaughter and tear down trees, we are left with less plants to remove CO2 from the air and produce oxygen. This, in result causes the temperature of the air to increase, responsible for connections with droughts and dry spells terrorizing the Congo. In the past 5 years, the Congo has reported the worst harvested crops, due to excessive flooding and droughts in the area. These floods and droughts are direct impacts from climate change and the burning of fossil fuels. The Congo is not only facing extreme weather patterns but also expected to lose even more biodiversity and animal life.
In the novel, A Bigger Picture: My Fight to Bring a New African Voice to the Climate Crisis by Vanessa Nakate, she describes the Congo as “waiting in the shadows” with the lack of coverage and awareness on the current demolition of the forest. While new green acts and laws have been issued, trying to protect these rainforests and natural lands, like the Tropical Forest Conservation Act (TFCA), we still are seeinging an increasing number of deforestation and rising atmospheric carbon levels.
“Laws like the Tropical Forest Conservation Act (TFCA) and the FOREST Act are used, along with international agreements and national policies, to combat illegal logging, promote sustainable practices, and protect biodiversity.”
The World Wildlife Fund
The Congo is currently being exploited and cut down at alarming rates, responsible for a vast increase in CO2 in the atmosphere and also wiping out countless plants and animals in the area. More and more each year are reporting floods, droughts, and other extreme weather patterns and storms in Africa. Climate change is directly impacting and threatening the Congo.
I like how you are bringing our current book and relating it to real world problems that are still going on currently. It is unfortunate that the Congo isn't getting as much environmental protection as they should.
ReplyDeleteDeforestation is so scary because even as we plant more trees, we are losing the rich older plant life that made up these ecosystems, this means entire habitat loss for local animal life. It also means the people that live there have less materials of their own in order to build up their cities and livelihoods. It never gets press coverage because privileged countries would like us to forget about those without resources so we don't ask them to help the cause. We need to fight for the underrepresented.
ReplyDeleteI agree, it seems people will never understand how important underrepresented people are unless we make them understand and educate them how it affects them too and that the person being underrepresented is just like them.
DeleteIt's heartbreaking to hear how such a vital ecosystem, one that literally helps the planet breathe, is being destroyed so rapidly. I really like how you included our current book we are reading in this blog!
ReplyDeleteI like that your blog really points out how the Congo is in danger due to deforestation and climate change. It’s worrying that despite efforts to protect the forests, trees are still being cut down at alarming rates, making floods and droughts worse. We need more action and awareness to save these important ecosystems before it's too late. Protecting the Congo is crucial for the planet’s health.
ReplyDeleteThe picture you included showing the deforestation is devastating. Before reading A Bigger Picture, I had no idea that the Congo was such a vast source of biodiversity and how little representation its conservation efforts receive in the media. It was interesting to read this post and learn more about the staggering statistics.
ReplyDeleteRainforest across the world are being cut down at an alarming rate. We are losing so much biodiversity and releasing a scary amount of carbon into the atmosphere. It is sad to see the Congo Rainforest being cut down.
ReplyDeleteIt was called the earth's second lung, and like the first long in Brazil, we had to mess with it. Its like we don't like oxygen or something. SMH
ReplyDeleteHearing how you say trees are the lungs of the earth and learning how every year, we lose over 108 million trees in the Congo. Is just heartbreaking every year it is estimated we cut down fifteen billion trees a years and that is just horrible in my mind.
ReplyDeleteIt's really heartbreaking to hear about the devastation happening in the Congo. The rainforests are such an important part of the Earth's ecosystem, and the fact that they're being destroyed so quickly due to deforestation is terrifying.
ReplyDeleteI think it is really interesting and impactful how you are expanding on the content that we cover in our assigned readings. I feel like it really helps paint a bigger picture (unintentional pun).
ReplyDeleteThe Congo, a vital carbon sink and biodiversity hotspot, is under severe threat from climate change and deforestation, highlighting the urgent need for global action and awareness.
ReplyDeleteI never realized or thought about how important the Congo is. Places like this are so important to life on Earth and are being totally destroyed by humans and climate change. It's really sad!
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you brought our book to life with this post. 108 million trees a year is insane. I can't even picture what that would look like. Trees are so vital to our survival. If you've ever flown to Arizona, there's a difference in the air, a different smell. The minute you get back into Michigan, it smells fresh. The only reason I can think of is trees. So, I can only imagine the importance of the Congo for Africans as well.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your research on this vital ecosystem. I love how the Congo is described as Earth's "left lung," because the environment truly does allow all living things to breathe and thrive. Just as Vanessa mentioned in the book, not many people knew the Congo existed or the detrimental condition it's in, me included, and it is so important to draw awareness of these vital areas.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate that you connected our reading to your post! I think that it is easy to disregard deforestation as a problem because many of us don't directly face the consequences of it, but it is so important to recognize the importance of the ecosystems and of the lives being disrupted/upturned by deforestation in places like the Congo.
ReplyDeleteGiven their critical role in absorbing CO₂ and sustaining biodiversity, your focus on the urgent need to safeguard the Congo's rainforests emphasizes how important it is to raise awareness and take action against deforestation.
ReplyDeleteThe picture of deforestation breaks my heart. The sheer amount of biodiversity that is being destroyed is too much and it is obvious that they do not care about the environment. I wonder if what we talked about in class is true here, that European people are a huge influence on this destruction.
ReplyDeleteAnd now Trump has authorized rapidly increasing logging in American forests - including in Michigan. Terrible.
ReplyDeleteThis is incredibly heartbreaking.
Delete