Lesson 2 People and the Environment – We learned that the Amazonian rain forest is the largest rain forest in the world. It is often called the “lungs of the world” because the trees in the forest absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen. Then we looked at ways we can try to preserve Earth’s resources. We learned that using both sides of a paper and recycling it can help preserve the rain forests. We learned that government should educate people about the benefits of sustainable resource use. They can also use financial incentives to encourage the use of alternative energy’s resources.