Since the beginning of human life, we have relied on the environment for our resources. Only in the recent forty years have we become aware that these resources may not be there for long. An environmental apocalypse is real through degradation trends of deforestation, loss of bio diversity and global warming. These trends are not the only trends that deserve attention, issues such as nonrenewable resource depletion, population growth and pollution are also topics of concern. Controversy surrounds these issues and many people believe that none of these trends are serious, and that the world is simply evolving and that the earth is acting on its own. Nevertheless, an environmental apocalypse is very probable whether or not humans contribute to its decline. Developed countries have been coping with these problems better than less developed countries because simply they can afford to. Many of these trends still exist today because, unfortunately, environmental issues are tied in with development and economic factors.
Deforestation is one of the more alarming environmental issues. The main reason of deforestation is the demand for land to meet the ever increasing population growth. It was stated in the March 2000 Environment Science and Technology, "The amount of productive land used per capital in developing countries is around 1 acre, the pressure on the flora and fauna is enormous, and the population growth is only increasing." (XXXX). Just how much of our forests have we destroyed? William K. Stevens, a New York Times science writer said, "Worldwide, scientists say, there has been a net loss of more than 3 million square miles of forest, an area roughly equal to the 48 contiguous states of the United States" (Bender. 124). Some scientist might argue that this figure is exaggerated but most of them agree that man is destroying forests and the rate at which we are felling trees is only increasing.
