There are several causes of deforestation. One of them is the demand for trees to make paper products. However, there are greener ways to make these products than by cutting down trees.

One environmentally friendly way to make paper and paper products is to use recycled materials. Many cities have recycling programs that accept paper. If we recycle our newspaper, cardboard, and other paper, then we might be able to reduce the demand for new paper, thereby reducing deforestation. The article linked below lists some more benefits of recycling paper.

If we must cut down trees to make new products, then we should establish tree plantations. In a tree plantation, a new tree is planted for every tree that is cut down. Doing this could offset the negative effects of deforestation and could provide a sustainable source for making paper products.

Trees Cool the Climate…Isn’t That Cool?

Researchers from Carnegie’s Global Ecology department found that evaporation of water from trees not only cools things locally, but also globally, as well. The cycle produces clouds that reflect sunlight, meaning less energy (heat) makes landfall. The net result? Cooling.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/neil-wagner/trees-cool-the-climate-is_b_971032.html

Reducing deforestation in the Amazon is Brazil’s largest contribution to tackling climate change.

Avoided Deforestation Partners, a forest conservation group, has coordinated the development of an “open source” forest carbon accounting methodology that could help speed projects aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation and degradation.

World efforts to slow deforestation should do more to address underlying causes such as rising demand for crops or biofuels, widening from a U.N. focus on using trees to fight climate change, a study said on Monday.