Rainforests once sprawled across the globe. At one time, rainforests covered 14% of the earth’s land surfaces. They now account for only 6% of the earth’s land surface. Rainforests are being harvested at a rate of one and one-half acres per second. At this rate, scientists believe rainforests could be completely wiped out in a mere 40 years. Experts estimate a loss of 137 plant, animal and insect species everyday, a disturbing 50,000 species a year lost to deforestation. There are 121 prescription drugs made from rainforest-derived plants. 25% of

Rainforests bio-diversity is awe-inspiring. According to scientific study, a single pond in Brazil can support a larger variety of fish than are found in all of the waters in Europe’s rivers. A 25 acre plot in Borneo may contain over 700 different tree species, equal to the tree diversity in all of North America. A single rainforest reserve in Peru is home to more bird species than in the entire North American continent. A single tree in Peru was found to be home to more species of ants than are found on all of the British Isles. Less than 1% of the millions of plants species in rainforests have been studied for medical use. Though rainforests cover only an estimated 6% of Earth’s surface, they are home to over one-half of its wild plant-life and one-half of its wildlife.

all Western medicines are rainforest-derived. Of all the plants thriving in the forests, less than 1% of these have been tested medically. The Amazon Rainforest alone produces 20% of the oxygen we breathe. One-fifth of the world’s fresh water is found in the Am

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