Devadas Vittal

About the author: Devadas Vittal is a student of political science and international studies at American University in Washington, D.C.

The destruction of the Amazon rain forest has continued even as governments and environmental groups have been trying to slow it down for years. Saving the Amazon rain forest is vitally important for many reasons. First, 25 percent of the pharmaceuticals consumed in the United States are derived from plants in the rain forest. The Amazon rain forest plays a significant role in global weather patterns. Finally, the Amazon rain forest is home to thousands of species of plants, animals, and birds: Destroying the forest means destroying the wildlife. The threats to the Amazon are numerous and include commercial logging, urbanization, and multinational corporations. However, some...