 Like forests, why forests are vital to sustainable future? What does a sustainable future require? Requires long-term planning, clarified use of natural resources, and consideration of the situation's economic feasibility. The bigger picture, forests impact climate change, livelihoods, and homes. Let's start with our first topic. We know that trees store carbon dioxide and release oxygen, but did you know that forests represent the largest store of terrestrial carbon on the Earth? The deforestation accounts for almost 20% of all greenhouse gas emissions, which is more than the world's entire transport sector. So what do greenhouse gases do? They trap heat in the atmosphere, causing climate change. Over the past century, Earth's average temperature rose by 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit. Even the smallest change in temperature can lead to large and potentially dangerous shifts in climate and weather. Examples include floods, intense rain, drought, and heat waves. Ice caps are melting so sea levels are rising, oceans are warming and becoming more acidic. Why does it matter? Simply put, forests store CO2, a greenhouse gas that impacts climate change, guiding the weather conditions and sea levels affecting our homes and food supply. Now for our next topic. More than 75% of the world's accessible fresh water is provided by forest capture. People rely on this water for hygiene, cooking, drinking, and food production. Additionally, over 90% of people living in extreme poverty depend on forests for all or part of their livelihoods. Finally, our last topic. Forests contain an estimated 75% of all terrestrial plant and animal species. Additionally, 1.6 billion rural people depend on forests to some extent. Conclusively, the forests sustain our future. For more information, head over to cypher.org. Protect our forests!