June 22 has been set aside to bring awareness to our rainforests. World Rainforest Day strives to bring attention to the plight of these dwindling forests.

According to newsweek.com, 12% of the oxygen is from the Amazon rainforests alone. Trees in general serve an important role because they absorb carbon dioxide, stabilize climate patterns, and are home to half the world’s plant, and animal species. Rainforests are a huge defense against climate change because they can absorb greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. Rainforests are a vital part of life on Earth (Rainforest Facts).

Yet studies have shown that we lose 40 football fields of rainforests every minute (https://worldrainforestday.org/). In 2015, deforestation caused 15% of global carbon emissions to accelerate climate change, equivalent to more cars in the U.S. and China combined (International emissions).

Rainforests also provide medicine, and food. More than 60% of anticancer drugs originate from natural resources like Rainforests (Medicines). Because our rainforests are so rich in biodiversity they hold enormous amounts of plants that have been known to treat malaria, heart disease, bronchitis, hypertension, diabetes, muscle tension, arthritis, glaucoma, and many more.

World Rainforest Day celebrates this natural resource and encourages us to take action and preserve our rainforests. Click here to find seven different organizations that you can support to help fight deforestation and celebrate World Rainforest Day.