A Response to Brendan's Post:

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Brendan,

I am so happy that you posted about this topic - it definitely needs more attention brought to it and needs to be discussed more. Finally, a time where I can bring my knowledge as a biology major into this class! I myself am very much anti-deforestation. I think that something that a lot of policy makers and people in general don't understand is the richness and diversity that the Amazon provides. It is a unique ecological habitat that is unlike others in the world. The Amazon is home to so many species of animals, plants, and insects, and not all have even been discovered. On top of that, the Amazon is considered to be the "Lungs of the Planet" due to the fact that it produces more than 20% of the worlds oxygen. That is a VERY significant amount of of oxygen, especially with the onset of anthropogenic climate change and the rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. I just find it so important to preserve the forest rather than cut them down. It is such a valuable resource to our planet, and the home to many species, many of them only found in the Amazon. That may just be the biology geek in me speaking, but I think it is something we as a whole should be more concerned about.

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