Hello, I’m Charlotte Bellis – and welcome to a special Earth Day edition of Newsy.com.

Let’s talk deforestation...

That was video from Greenpeace, highlighting the corporate issue of deforestation in Indonesia. The cause? The production of palm oil – an ingredient used in soaps, lotions and now biofuels. (Greenpeace)

The organization tells Reuters Indonesia is the country with some of the “swiftest deforestation” rates in the world.

CNN brings the personal perspective of one Nigerian farmer who says his only means of survival is to chop down trees.

“Here in Nigeria’s oil-rich Niger Delta, Anthony Ido is looking for the cheapest available fuel for cooking – wood. Like many others, he says he simply can’t afford petrol or kerosene, so he cuts down mangroves, keeping some for himself and selling the rest. ‘It’s bad to exploit the young trees, but I must feed my family,’ he says. ‘A hungry man is a desperate man.’” (CNN)

The Guardian and the environmental news agency Mongabay.com re-visit the corporate aspect of deforestation, warning palm oil production also threatens the world’s largest rainforest: the Amazon. (The Guardian) (Mongabay.com) 

But SKY News reveals new measures Brazil is taking to protect its part of the rainforest saying...

"Authorities in Rio de Janeiro are planning to build seven miles of 10-feet high concrete walls around some of the city's biggest slums, to safeguard the rainforest." (SKY News)

According to one state official, “Each year that passes we’re losing more of the … rainforest. Now, we’re setting limits on where these communities can expand.” (SKY News)

Want to learn more? Please, visit our sources, and stay tuned for more of Newsy.com’s Earth Day coverage, where we look at perspectives on some of the world’s most pressing environmental issues.

I’m Charlotte Bellis for Newsy.com – where multiple perspectives help provide the real story.