We discovered previously that rainforests are essential to our life on Earth. They also provide a rich variety of economic resources that are used all over the world. This presents countries with a serious dilemma. Rainforests are used for a number of economic purposes, ranging from agricultural to urban and industrial use. The dilemma facing many rainforest-rich countries, including Australia, is that, as these economic demands grow, the planet's rainforests are placed under increasing threat of destruction. The economic resources provided by the world's rainforests are enormous. Here are just some of the more important ones. Foods
Nearly 50 per cent of the world's food supplies originate in rainforest areas. Items that we commonly buy from the supermarket, such as bananas, pineapples, mangoes, peanuts, macadamia nuts and cashews, all originated in rainforests. Many popular foods like rice, corn and maize also come from the rainforests, as do tea, coffee, cocoa and sugar.
Recreation
Rainforests are becoming increasingly popular places for people to visit because they are seen as areas of wilderness and natural beauty. People take part in activities such as fishing, bush-walking, rock climbing and four-wheel driving. The overuse of rainforests for tourist activities has led governments to pass laws restricting activities in these forests. The Daintree region in northern Queensland is one area where the government has passed laws regulating rainforest activities.
Medicines and drugs
Many medicines and drugs sold by the local pharmacist come from plants that grow in rainforests. For example, medicines used for travel sickness, headaches, stomach upsets, skin diseases and leukaemia all come from the rainforests. In fact, nearly 40 per cent of all medicines sold in chemists, originate from rainforests.
Industrial and building products
Rainforests provide many products used by the community for urban development. These include timber converted into building materials for house framing, furniture, fencing, panel products and flooring. Rainforests also supply wood chips used in making cardboard, toilet tissue and the pulp used for some papers.
Many industrial products also originate from the rainforests. Spices, rubber, oils, waxes, dyes and gums are just some examples. Even everyday products such as toothpaste, cosmetics, tyres, paints and deodorants are produced from plants growing in rainforest areas.
Sustainable development
Scientists believe that over 200,000 square kilometres of rainforest are being destroyed each year for economic purposes. Most people would acknowledge the economic importance of the world's rainforests. However, there needs to be a balance between the way we are currently using our rainforests and the future availability of these resources. This is now commonly being referred to as ecologically sustainable development.
For example, conservationists, governments and industry groups believe that timber should be harvested from forests in a sustainable way. This should be done without permanently damaging the home of other plants and animals, the soil or rivers and creeks. This is a very complex task. It involves ensuring trees that are removed from the forest which are replaced by seedlings that will form part of the new forest.
To conclude, since the rainforests are very crucial to support many aspects of our life, it is our duty to preserve them.
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