Day 1: Deforestation: a lifelong sadness

I don’t remember who first told me about deforestation. Perhaps it was at school, perhaps on the radio or TV. But it became important enough for me that by the time I reached the age of 15 and was given the chance to make a speech in English class, this was my chosen topic.

What I found back then horrified me.

A football pitch of forest destroyed every second. Animals left without habitats, people without homes. Valuable plants that could cure our diseases lost before they were even found. New species, beautiful diversity, gone forever.

My speech centred around the fact that the rainforest was of more benefit – materially, socially, environmentally, financially – if left as it was, that more money could be made using it sustainably than unsustainably. And yet no one was paying attention.

My interest never waned, but I felt removed, too far from the forests I longed to protect to be able to do anything. Now a decade has gone past and I return to the facts to find the same sorrowful story wherever I turn.

I’m not entirely sure where this challenge is going. I know I want to find out what the causes are. I know I want to find out about crops such as soya and palm that drive much of the deforestation. And from there I hope to find products that are grown sustainably, or that do not use these crops at all. And maybe I’ll be brave enough to consider asking why so many companies aren’t seeking alternatives.

If you’re reading this, then thank you. I invite you to join me on my journey as I start to find a new, and more sustainable, way to live.