The Amazon Rainforest is shrinking right before our eyes; over 3,600 square miles of forest in the Brazilian Amazon were lost in 2015 alone, contributing to a total loss from human activities that is twice the size of Texas. We know that the Amazon is home to the most powerful skin care remedies, but it’s also home to so much more than that:
Home of Biodiversity
One in every ten known species of plants and animals lives in the Amazon, making it the most biodiverse ecosystem on the planet. Thousands of species depend on the Amazon, and every day that deforestation continues, we risk driving any one of those species to extinction, including species we have yet to discover. Plant-life that may offer incredible scientific and medical revelations could be awaiting us, but only if we protect them.
Home of Freshwater
The Amazon provides 20% of the world’s freshwater, which is only 3% of the total water supply. Freshwater is essential for the local ecosystem, as well as for the people living nearby; freshwater is used for drinking, washing, agriculture, and hydroelectricity.
Home of People and Culture
Over 30 million people live in the Amazon Basin, and just as they need the Amazon’s freshwater, they also depend on the abundance of other resources the Amazon provides, including food, natural medicines, materials for clothing and construction and more. Meanwhile, the rainforest is entwined with the Brazilian culture, and has been the home of many indigenous cultures for thousands of years.
What We Can Do
Human intervention is responsible for the mass deforestionation of the Amazon, but human intervention can also prevent more damage and reverse existing damage to this massive green home. Supporting environmentalists in their efforts to do just that is an easy, yet significant way to help rescue the rainforest. That’s why BRZLNSKIN funds research that explores sustainable ways to interact with the Amazon and protect it for years to come!
