This newsletter discusses the disappearance of the world's forests and the resulting environmental problems of erosion and flooding; loss of genetic diversity; climatic changes such as less rainfall, and intensifying of the greenhouse effect; and displacement and destruction of indigenous cultures. The articles, lessons, and activities are organized in six sections that discuss: (1) the causes of deforestation and its relationship to the problems of erosion, the greenhouse effect and amounts of rainfall are discussed; (2) information about the biological and medical value of the tropical rain forest and why it is being destroyed; (3) two case studies on the destruction of the tropical rain forests in Nicaragua and the Solomon Islands; (4) the logging industry in British Columbia; (5) potential solutions to the problem; and (6) five activities in which students graph areas of tropical rainforest, discuss the fate of the rainforest, write about the effects of deforestation, consider sustainable development and draw conclusions from the case studies. Lists of audio-visual and organizational resources are included. (MDH)