Can't See the Forest

By Josh Sevin

01 Mar 2000

Read more about: rainforests | United States | wilderness | all of these topics

20 percent of Earth's original forests remain undisturbed

13 percent of original forests in the Pacific Northwest remain undisturbed

1 to 2 percent of original forests in the U.S. remain undisturbed

2.47 acres of rainforest are destroyed each second, an area approximately the size of two U.S. football fields

214,000 acres of rainforest are destroyed each day, an area larger than New York City

78 million acres of rainforest are destroyed each year, an area larger than Poland

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5 to 10 percent of closed tropical forest species will go extinct per decade at current rates of tropical forest loss and disturbance

27 percent of wood commercially harvested worldwide is consumed by Americans

Sources:
1 -- Natural Resources Defense Council
2,3 -- World Resources Institute
4-6 -- Natural Resources Defense Council
7 -- World Resources Institute
8 -- Natural Resources Defense Council

Read more about: rainforests | United States | wilderness | all of these topics

Josh Sevin is a graduate student in MIT's planning program. Previously, he was an editor at Greenwire environmental news service and a researcher for U.S. News.

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