{"id":4525,"date":"1999-02-01T00:00:00","date_gmt":"1999-02-01T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www-prod.greenpeace.org\/usa\/campaign-updates\/4525\/the-amazon-s-major-threat-ill\/"},"modified":"2024-12-09T20:12:06","modified_gmt":"2024-12-09T20:12:06","slug":"the-amazon-s-major-threat-ill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/usa\/the-amazon-s-major-threat-ill\/","title":{"rendered":"The Amazon’s Major Threat: Illegal Logging"},"content":{"rendered":"

Illegal logging continues to be one of the greatest threats to the Amazon \u2013 an incredible natural treasure.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Amazon rainforest is one of the biologically richest areas in the world, containing more than one-third of the earth\u2019s remaining ancient forests and supporting 50 percent of the world\u2019s land-based animal and plant species. Illegal logging, however, continues to be one of the greatest threats to this incredible natural treasure.<\/p>\n

According to the Washington-based World Resources Institute, nearly 80 percent of the Earth\u2019s original ancient forests have either been destroyed or degraded. The remainder is disappearing at an alarming rate of 10 million hectares every year. Every two seconds, an area the size of a football field is destroyed.<\/p>\n

In the Amazon alone, criminal timber exports have contributed to destroying a section of the forest that is nearly the size of Texas; and each year an area half the size of Maryland disappears.<\/p>\n

Greenpeace is calling for:<\/h4>\n