The dry season is here, and that means the Amazon rainforest might start burning again. On top of the climate catastrophe that could happen if the wildfires and deforestation go unchecked in the Amazon, the wildfires in August of 2019 devastated the wildlife. Deforestation in the Amazon has increased by 94% since the August 2019 wildfires, and dry season in the Amazon lasts from June until December. Given that experts believe the Amazon rainforest will soon burn yet again, I want to preempt this by providing ways that we can save the Amazon through 5 simple ways.
Tip #1: Stop using Palm Oil
Palm oil directly contributes to deforestation because palm oil plantations are cutting down trees in the Amazon to make space. Companies nowadays, however, are smart and realize that consumers have become much more conscious about what they are buying. Here are some other names for palm oil:
- Vegetable oil
- Palm kernel
- Palm kernel oil
- Palm fruit oil
- Palmitate
- Palm olein
- Glyceryl
- Palmate
- Palmitic acid
- Sodium laureth sulfate
- Sodium lauryl sulfate
- Stearate
- Stearic acid
- Sodium kernelate
Tip #2: Stop eating South American beef
Cattle farming has become a major problem in South America. It is estimated that 60 to 70% of the deforestation of the Amazon is caused by cattle farming. The production of beef, leather, and other cattle products has turned the rainforest into artificial grassland (pastureland) to produce cattle. Whenever possible, always choose local meat wherever possible. The debate of whether everyone needs to stop eating meat has long been a topic of protest for animal activists and environmentalists. The problem, however, is that we do not always have the option of choosing the pricier, vegan options. As such, my recommendation is to choose local meat, or to buy from known, responsible butchers.
Tip #3: Stop buying unsustainable coffee
Deforestation of the Amazon has also been caused by the increase of coffee plantations. The traditional reason for growing coffee in the Amazon is due to the great biodiversity in the Amazon, which contributes to a supposedly better cup of coffee. What is amazing is that organizations such as the Rainforest Alliance aim to solve this problem by training farmers in sustainable farming and promoting their “new certification model with long-term conservation initiatives focused on sustainable rural enterprise development”. The next time you want to grab a cup of coffee, make sure it’s sustainable and check for the Rainforest Alliance certification! My favorite type of sustainable coffee is the Peru Alto Mayo Coffee by Joffrey’s for Disney.
Tip #4: Stop using wood products
This seems obvious; of course, we would want to stop using paper products! Here’s the problem with this statement: we Americans still use 69 million tons of paper and paperboard each year! Given how important the Amazon is, you would also think that we wouldn’t chop down trees in the Amazon. Here’s the problem with this statement: tropical wood is incredibly durable, has an amazing texture, and is beautiful. The problem with simply saying that we’ll use fewer paper products is that paper is still an unavoidable part of our life. Thus, here are some rainforest hardwoods to stop buying:
- Mahogany
- Rosewood
- Ebony
- Walnut
- Jatoba (Brazilian cherry)
- Plywood
Here are some alternative types of hardwood products to use when you absolutely need to use paper products:
- Oak
- White ash
- Black cherry
- Maple wood
- Teak
- Cork
- Linoleum
- Any recycled wood, reclaimed wood, or salvaged wood
In case you want to learn more, I highly recommend checking out Rainforest Relief. All of the woods to avoid and alternatives came from Rainforest Relief! So many companies have gotten a lot smarter over the years about their marketing. Similar to palm oil and the many, many names for palm oil, it is best to always do your own research when purchasing wood!
Tip #5: Stop buying clothes made from rayon, modal, and viscose
What kind of fashion blogger would I be if I didn’t include at least one tip that is fashion related? I put together this guide of the most common clothing fabrics and where they are sourced from, but here’s the quick version of what is sourced from the rainforest:
- Rayon
- Modal
- Viscose
The horrible thing about this is that rayon, modal, and viscose clothing makes super comfortable clothes (much better than polyester at any rate). That is why they are so popular with clothing companies, but 70 million trees are cut down each year to make our clothes, and clothes from rayon, modal, and viscose pose a real threat with disastrous environmental effects.
In case you’re reading this and feeling super overwhelmed that you own a bunch of clothes made from these three fabrics, don’t panic! That is why I practice slow fashion and am conscious of how I get rid of my clothes.
In the end of the day, the best thing any of us can do is just take the extra 10 minutes when purchasing anything to make sure we know where it came from.
Rainforests are the lungs of the planet because they absorb carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases, produce oxygen, and contain over 30 million species of plants and animals. Half of Earth’s wildlife and two-thirds of Earth’s planet species live in the rainforests! Rainforests also help maintain the water cycle by adding water to the atmosphere; it’s insane to think that water produced in South America in the Amazon could end up in Russia, but that is exactly what makes rainforests so important.
The dry season is coming, and personally, I do not want to see the Amazon burning again. I hope these tips helped in shedding light on what we can all do to help save the rainforests.
