Treehugging: What you can do about deforestation

Trees are vital to life on Earth. They trap carbon and other particles produced by pollution. They provide habitat for animals and other plants, affect rainfall, prevent erosion, and help regulate the Earth's temperature. But we're losing trees at an alarming rate around the globe.

According to the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization, the 33 million acres of forestland that are lost annually worldwide are responsible for 20% of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions.

Trees are cut and burned for a number of reasons. Forests are logged to supply timber for wood and paper products, and to clear land for crops, cattle, and housing. Other causes of deforestation include mining and oil exploitation, urbanization, acid rain and wildfires. Worldwide, deforestation is a big problem, particularly in tropical regions.

So what can YOU do about deforestation? Actually, quite a bit. Here are a few ideas:

Plant a tree: The most obvious way to combat deforestation is to plant a tree. And its a great way to show get your kids involved as well. My girls like to plant a tree every year on their birthdays to celebrate the day and the planet. Plant a tree (or several) in your yard, at your child's school, in a community park ... anywhere.

Go paperless: Save a tree by cutting back on the paper you use each day. Keep in touch via email, read news and magazines online, send texts instead of notes, and give e-cards to save both paper and cash. We put up a dry-erase board on our fridge to jot down notes and important phone numbers instead of using paper.

Buy recycled: Purchase paper and paper products made from recycled paper content. Every case of recycled paper you buy in lieu of virgin paper saves about one tree!

Look for FSC certification on wood and wood products: The Forest Stewardship Council certifies wood and wood products that come from sustainable forests. Look for the FSC label on wood, paper, and wood products such as furniture, cabinets, and windows.

Jenn Savedge's blog posts are provided by LifeWire, a part of The New York Times Company.