RainTrust's "Rainforest Eco-nomics"

Using the Power of the Global Marketplace To Fight Global Warming

The RainTrust Foundation is taking a highly innovative approach to securing the environmental health of our planet by helping conserve the four critical resources on which we all depend: land, water, energy, and air.

To do that, we recognize that our most important resource is the human one: The traditional and indigenous people of the rainforest and the millions of forest-friendly, eco-conscious individuals like you around the world. By participating in our Protect-an-Acre program with your tax-deductible contribution, you will play a critical role in helping us achieve our highest goals.

In pursuit of our mission, The RainTrust Foundation has been forging powerful relationships with well-established strategic partners to tap the power of the global marketplace. So, in addition to other governmental and non-governmental groups, we will be working with various socially-responsible businesses.

Through our collective efforts, we will aggressively support a number of environmentally-sustainable programs based on the utilization of the vast pool of renewable resources and the creation of economically-viable, locally-owned enterprises that will offer job training, business opportunities, and fair trade wages to the people of the rainforests and other critical biodiverse forest areas.

Working together, we will offer eco-conscious consumers around the globe an extensive range of options in these 4 key areas in which they (and you) will be able to actively demonstrate support for the rainforest and the planet we all share.

Land
Tropical rainforests are the most diverse land ecosystems on the planet, as well as the planet's best natural defense against global warming. This astounding diversity of life is vital to feed the world and adapt to changes. (Learn more »)

Water
The Amazon basin is the largest water basin in the world and is responsible for nearly one-fifth of the world's river discharge into the oceans. The hydrological cycle is severely altered when forests are removed by clear-cut logging and/or cleared for cattle and large-scale farming. (Learn more »)

Energy
Rainforests may also hold the key to help alleviate global fuel shortages and restore national security through the production of highly-efficient biofuels. Brazil's vast size and tropical climate are perfect for the production of biofuels, including biodiesel and and biomass energy sources. (Learn more »)

Air / Climate
Rainforests also play a vital role in regulating the Earth's atmosphere and climate through their ability to absorb massive amounts of carbon dioxide and convert it into oxygen and wood. At over 1 billion acres (about the the size of Europe), the Amazon is known as "The Lungs of the Earth" because it produces about 20% of the oxygen we breathe. (Learn more »)