Rainforests keep the planet healthy

Rainforests safely store billions of tons of carbon, helping ward off climate change. But when they are cleared or burned, much of that carbon ends up in the atmosphere—similar to burning fossil fuels. This destabilizes the planet’s climate and contributes to rising temperatures, stronger storms, more severe droughts and rising sea levels.

Each year, deforestation of tropical forests releases more carbon into Earth’s atmosphere than the emissions from the whole US transportation sector.