We are losing 33.8 million acres of tropical forest per year. That is more then the total area of New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey and Delaware combined! That is 2.8 million acres lost per month.... That is 93.000 acres lost per day... That is 3.800 acres lost per hour... That is 64 acres lost per minute...

Did you know that the world's tropical rainforests only cover about 6% of the earth's land surface yet contain: 20% of the world's entire oxygen 30% of the world's fresh water 33% of the world's carbon stored in the soil 40% of the world's carbon in terrestrial life 50% of the world's millions of species of plants, animals and insects

One hectare (2.47 acres) of rainforest can contain 750 types of trees and 1,500 types of other plants. One-and-a-half acres of rainforest are lost every second (see our deforestation counter above), and because these forests can take centuries to reach maturity, this is a grave loss. At current rates of destruction, the remaining rainforests could disappear in as little as 40 years. Rainforests act as the world's thermometer by regulating temperatures and weather patterns. They have well earned their name, "the lungs of the planet."

(From http://carbonvoucher.com/rainforest.php)