Final answer:
Deforestation contributes to climate change by releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, accounting for a significant percentage of greenhouse gas emissions. Healthy forests help absorb carbon dioxide, so when they are destroyed, that carbon gets released, exacerbating climate change.
Step-by-step explanation:
Deforestation is responsible for a significant percentage of greenhouse gas emissions, with around 12-17% of all emissions resulting from human activities coming from carbon released through deforestation. This is more carbon dioxide than is emitted by all cars, trucks, planes, trains, and ships in the world. Healthy forests help absorb carbon dioxide, so when they are destroyed, that carbon is released into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change.