Deforestation

The environment has also been affected by deforestation. Creating more space for people has taken the homes of millions of species. Deforestation also affects climate change. Trees absorb much of the greenhouse gases that are realeased into the atmosphere.An estimated 18 million acres is lost to deforestation each year. At the current rate of deforestation, the world's rain forest could vanish in a hundred years. Millions of species of animals are already losing their habitats due to deforestation, if deforestation continues at this rate, extinction is inevitible for those species that can not adapt to a new environment quickly enough.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, human activities are largely responsible for an increase in temperature around the globe, primarily due to carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions. This increase in temperature is leading to changes in where crops can grow and where certain fish or animals can be found, all vital for feeding an increasing human population. The rise in global temperatures is also causing glaciers to melt, releasing water that causes sea levels to rise and threaten coastal communities and economies that rely on coastal resources.