1. Adopt Part Of A Rain Forest. There are a number of rain forest organizations where you can adopt an acre or more of endangered rain forest by making a monetary contribution. In this way you know exactly what you donation will be used for. This link takes you to the Adopt A Rain Forest page: Adopt A Rain Forest

2. Purchase Only Certified Sustainable Harvested Wood. This is wood that is produced in well-managed forests. There are hundreds of private landowners, forest managers, manufactures and retailers that now produce and supply wood products from these sustainable forests. They are supported by a network of independent certification organizations that assess their management practices under a stringent set of environmental and social criteria. Only those who meet these standards are certified, and it is from these suppliers that you will want to purchase wood products.

Don't purchase or use exotic woods that come from tropical rain forests. If you are building or remodeling your house and your builder suggests tropical hardwoods from rainforests in Brazil or other parts of the world for your floor, tell him no, and then why.

3. Consider Using Alternative Materials For Building Projects. Especially those made from recycled materials, wood and plastics especially.

4. Use Recycled Paper, Preferably With 100% "Post Consumer Content." This means the paper is completely "tree-free", that no tree has been destroyed in making the paper.

5. Purchase Fair Trade Coffee, Organically Grown Bananas and Rainforest Alliance Certified Products. Bananas and coffee are the two major rain forest food crops. Buy only those products that are grown in a sustainable and organic way.  One way you can tell is if the Rainforest Alliance Certified Label is present. The Rainforest Alliance is one of the major organizations in the world helping to save rainforests from further destruction. If you shop wisely, you will be helping the farmers who grow the crops and also helping protect the environment at the same time.

 
WHAT IS FAIR TRADE? The United States consumes one-fifth of all the world's coffee, making it the largest consumer in the world. But few Americans realize that agriculture workers in the coffee industry often toil in what can be described as "sweatshops in the fields." Many small coffee farmers receive prices for their coffee that are less than the costs of production, forcing them into a cycle of poverty and debt.

Fair Trade is a viable solution to this crisis, assuring consumers that the coffee we drink was purchased under fair conditions. To become Fair Trade certified, an importer must meet stringent international criteria; paying a minimum price per pound of $1.26, providing much needed credit to farmers, and providing technical assistance such as help transitioning to organic farming. Fair Trade for coffee farmers means community development, health, education, and environmental stewardship.

 
Five Basics Steps To Saving Rainforests