In the episode of Our Planet titled Forests, the second to last segment is about the forests and associated wildlife on Madagascar. It talks about all of the extremely unique life that can only be found on the island and concludes with the fact that only 3% of the original dry forests on the island remain today. This I think is the biggest tragedy of all. I recently read a phrase that said “throughout the galaxy wood is rarer than diamond” which is absolutely true and not greatly appreciated here on Earth. We should be working tirelessly to preserve as many species as possible, for extinction is one of the greatest crimes of all. I also recognize that many people are dependent on the supply of lumber for building, or heating their houses, among other uses, but even if there weren’t alternative solutions, there are certainly ways of sustainably logging. In the long run, this is also beneficial to all parties involved as plants and the animals that depend on them are still able to survive, and we can come back and use newly grown trees as a renewable resource rather than simply destroying the ecosystem in one fell swoop. Many people worldwide are already up in arms regarding this, but not nearly enough are. We should all be working to protect as many species as possible, particularly those that are incredibly rare and unique such as those that only exist in a single location, like Madagascar.