Is the earth really getting hotter?
Yes.  Although local temperatures fluctuate naturally, over the past 50 years the average global temperature has increased at the fastest rate in recorded history.  Experts believe that the trend is accelerating- the 10 hottest years have all occurred since 1990.  Scientists say that unless we curb global warming emissions, the average U.S. temperature could be 3 to 9 degrees higher by the end of the century.

Is there really cause for concern?
Yes.  Global warming is a complex phenomenon and its full scale effects are difficult to predict far in advance.  But scientists are learning more and more about how global warming is affecting the planet.  Many agree that certain consequences are likely to occur if current trends continue-

• Melting glaciers, early snowmelt and severe droughts will cause more dramatic water shortages in the American West.
• Rising sea levels will lead to coastal flooding on the eastern seaboard, in Florida, and in other areas, such as the Gulf of Mexico.
• Warmer sea surface temperatures will fuel more intense hurricanes in the southeastern Atlantic and Gulf coasts.
• Disruption of habitats such as coral reefs and alpine meadows could drive many plant and animal species to extinction.

Deforestation and the Effects on Global Warming
Human beings always have been and always will be to some extent, dependent on forests. Trees were their habitat, their environment, their source of food and their protection from enemies. Forests are very important to man, and other organisms, and one of the biggest problems the world is facing today is the threat of totally losing the forests due to massive deforestation and suffering the harmful effects of deforestation.

Deforestation can be defined as the large-scale removal of forests. Deforestation occurs when forests are converted to non-forest areas for urbanization, agriculture, and other reasons without sufficient reforestation. It is the permanent destruction of forests and woodlands.

At present, forests are considered among the most endangered on the planet. Everyday at least 80,000 acres of forest vanish from Earth. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations show that the rates of deforestation has not abated and has actually increased by 8.5% from 2000-2005 compared during the 1990s. FAO has approximated that about 10.4 million hectares of tropical forest have been permanently destroyed from 2000-2005 compared to 10.14 million hectares in the period of 1990-2000.

The process of deforestation is often a complex pattern of progressive fragmentation of the forests. Mistakes of this sort could lead to forest destruction. Along with this destruction is the extinction of many species, heavy soil erosion, greenhouse effect, silting of rivers and dams, flooding, landslides, denuded upland, degraded watershed, and even destruction of corals along the coast.

Extinction of Thousands of Species
Destruction of the forests leads to a tragic loss of biodiversity. Millions of plants and animal species are in danger of disappearing as a result of deforestation. Tropical forests are much more biologically diverse than other forest and a very serious effect of deforestation in tropical countries is the loss of biodiversity.
Heavy Soil Erosion
One function of the forest is that its roots hold the soil in place. Without trees soil erosion and landslides easily happen. When heavy rains and typhoons come, soil is easily carried to lower areas especially to communities at the foot of the mountains.
Greenhouse Effect
Deforestation increases the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The continued degradation of our forest heightens the threat of global warming because the trees and other plants that take up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to be used for photosynthesis are gone. The burning of wood or its decay contributes to the release of more carbon, which combines with oxygen in the atmosphere thus increasing further the levels of carbon dioxide that causes greenhouse effect.
Silting of Rivers and Dams
Deforestation results in the silting of rivers sediments deposit which shortens its life span and clogs irrigation system. As a result of deforestation, the reservoir behind many dams are filled with sediments more rapidly than expected.
Flooding
One major importance of forest is that they absorb water quickly in great amount during heavy rains. But due to massive deforestation there are no trees to absorb the water thus resulting to the loss of many lives.

The forest provides us with many products and important services. It stops soil erosion, refreshes the air, and protects us. If rampant deforestation is not controlled it will result to several problems. In one way or another, the denuded forests will back fire and people will certainly lose to the harmful effects of deforestation.