What would happen if we completely lost the Amazon rainforest to the fires?
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00:00 How long would it take for the world's largest rainforest to burn down?
00:09 If we don't do anything to stop it, we'll soon find out.
00:13 The Amazon rainforest creates 20% of the Earth's oxygen.
00:18 It's home to 30% of the planet's species.
00:22 And it holds the secrets to treating some of our most deadly diseases.
00:27 If we destroy the Amazon rainforest,
00:30 the consequences would be disastrous,
00:34 and they'd be felt all over the world.
00:38 Could we survive without it?
00:41 Why would it have a giant impact on our healthcare?
00:45 And would we ever be able to bring it back?
00:51 This is WHAT IF,
00:53 and here's what would happen if the Amazon rainforest disappeared.
00:59 Recently, massive forest fires have become the biggest threat to the Amazon's survival.
01:05 But unfortunately, the fires are just part of a much bigger problem.
01:11 For example, farming, mining, and logging
01:15 are already responsible for three football fields worth of deforestation per minute.
01:21 If we don't do anything to stop this,
01:23 the Amazon rainforest will disappear eventually,
01:27 and we'd lose any chance we have in the battle against climate change.
01:31 (Music)
01:37 The Amazon rainforest is one of the most incredible places on Earth.
01:41 It covers 40% of South America,
01:44 drives the South American economy,
01:47 and stores 86 billion tons of carbon
01:50 that would otherwise be polluting our atmosphere.
01:53 With an area that's this important,
01:55 you'd think we would do everything in our power to protect it.
01:59 But we don't.
02:01 Since 1978,
02:03 an estimated 750,000 square kilometers of rainforest have been destroyed,
02:09 all thanks to humans.
02:11 If this trend continues,
02:13 the Amazon rainforest could disappear within 100 years.
02:17 How bad would that be for our planet?
02:20 Well, let's take a look.
02:22 For starters, we'd be losing a huge amount of our planet's biodiversity.
02:27 The Amazon rainforest has more plant and animal species
02:30 than any other terrestrial ecosystem on Earth.
02:34 If we destroy the Amazon,
02:36 we'll be destroying all that diversity too,
02:38 and wiping out an entire ecosystem at the same time.
02:42 That would have huge effects on Earth.
02:45 We'd all quickly realize how much we've been relying on the Amazon's resources
02:50 for food and medicine.
02:52 Most people are surprised when they find out
02:55 that hundreds of prescription drugs
02:57 have come from things in the Amazon rainforest.
03:00 We're not just talking about simple herbal remedies either.
03:03 We're talking about full-fledged cancer-fighting drugs
03:07 that are so important
03:09 that they've been classified as essential medicines by the World Health Organization.
03:13 And we haven't even scratched the surface yet.
03:16 Scientists estimate that they've studied less than 5% of the plants in the rainforest
03:21 for potential medicinal benefits.
03:23 So who knows what other essential treatments we could lose without the rainforest.
03:29 But the most critical problem we'd face if the Amazon completely disappeared
03:33 would be a faster pace of climate change.
03:37 If the Amazon rainforest continues to wither and die,
03:41 it will stop being a source of oxygen.
03:43 Instead, it will begin to give off carbon,
03:46 which we all know is fueling climate change.
03:49 Right now, the Amazon has a natural stockpile of carbon reserves,
03:54 anywhere from 90 to 140 billion tons of the stuff.
03:58 If we woke up tomorrow and found the Amazon destroyed,
04:02 especially by fire,
04:04 all that carbon would be floating in the atmosphere.
04:07 Some experts believe that if this happens,
04:10 we would lose the battle against climate change.
04:13 But it's not all doom and gloom.
04:17 There is still hope for the Amazon rainforest.
04:20 Through studies conducted over the past several decades,
04:23 researchers have found that tropical forests
04:26 may be able to survive human-caused destruction.
04:30 Even without human help,
04:31 a rainforest can start growing again if it has enough seedlings.
04:35 However, this can only be successful if the rainforest isn't always under attack.
04:42 So what can you do to help?
04:45 Well, for starters, don't eat as much beef.
04:48 Processed beef products, such as fast food hamburgers,
04:51 are full of illegally sourced beef from the rainforest.
04:55 Reduce the amount of paper you use,
04:57 and choose renewable energy products whenever you can.
05:01 Renewable energy reduces the amount of carbon
05:04 we spew into the atmosphere from fossil fuels,
05:07 many of which come from the Amazon rainforest.
05:11 Maybe if we all work together, we can restore this beautiful rainforest to its former glory.
05:18 But that's a topic for another WHAT IF.
05:22 [MUSIC]