Why are rainforests so important?

Rainforest destruction is a massive contributor to climate change. It accounts for as many CO2 emissions as the USA - a staggering six billion tonnes each year.

The simple idea behind is that rainforests are worth much more to the human race left standing, helping to cool the planet, than they are cut down for timber or burnt to clear land for cattle ranching.

• Rainforests are made of carbon. When the forest is destroyed, this carbon is released as climate warming CO2.
• Rainforests are critical to global weather systems acting as the world's thermostat
• The Amazon rainforest alone provides a fifth of the world’s fresh water as well as a fifth of the world’s oxygen.
• Rainforests are home to two-thirds of all living animal and plant species on the planet, with hundreds of millions of species still undiscovered.
• The forests are known as the “world’s pharmacy” because of their wealth of natural medicines and destroying them can destroy the chances of new breakthroughs in treatment.