Natural Disasters

            The topic I choose is on the deforestation of the Amazon in Brazil.  This means a lot to me because of I believe this is affecting global temperatures and is allowing more carbon dioxide to hit our ozone layer to warm up the entire Earth.  By cutting down all the trees and clearing vegetation in the Amazon, we’re clearing a major natural filtration system on our Earth that helps regulate the amount of carbon dioxide along with providing habitats for thousands of species.  Without the Amazon, species will go extinct and a large part of the Earth’s trees will be gone.  By researching this, I hope to understand more of why it’s so important to protect the Amazon and help inform others as to the benefits of keeping it.

But the forest is not only populated by animals and plants, there are many humans there too. The Indians are part of the equilibrium that existed there for thousands of years. The indigenous tribes of the forest live off the land as their ancestors have for thousands of years. The other humans, not native, have settled there for different reasons, but are always looking for opportunities in this unexplored land. Sometimes (usually) this has a negative impact over the forest. The idea of learning how to live from the forest by the forest is something that is not easy, but not impossible either. There are many examples of sustainable use. This type of information needs to become more popular, as deforestation is becoming a danger to the existence of the forest. While logging and forest clearing may be profitable in the short run, in the long run it is a danger to the Amazon. It is also a danger the growing eco tourism that is a major attraction to the Amazon for tourists.

Between May 2000 and August 2006, Brazil lost nearly 150,000 square kilometers of forest, an area larger than Greece, and since 1970, over 600,000 square kilometers (232,000 square miles) of Amazon rainforest have been destroyed. Why is Brazil losing so much forest? What can be done to slow deforestation?

In many tropical countries, the majority of deforestation results from the actions of poor subsistence cultivators. However, in Brazil only about one-third of recent deforestation can be linked to "shifted" cultivators. Historically a large portion of deforestation in Brazil can be attributed to land clearing for pastureland by commercial and speculative interests, misguided government policies, inappropriate World Bank projects, and commercial exploitation of forest resources. For effective action it is imperative that these issues be addressed. Focusing solely on the promotion of sustainable use by local people would neglect the most important forces behind deforestation in Brazil.

Brazilian deforestation is strongly correlated to the economic health of the country: the decline in deforestation from 1988-1991 nicely matched the economic slowdown during the same period, while the rocketing rate of deforestation from 1993-1998 paralleled Brazil's period of rapid economic growth. During lean times, ranchers and developers do not have the cash to rapidly expand their pasturelands and operations, while the government lacks funds to sponsor highways and colonization programs and grant tax breaks and subsidies to forest exploiters.

Such favorable taxation policies, combined with government subsidized agriculture and colonization programs, encourage the destruction of the Amazon. The practice of low taxes on income derived from agriculture and tax rates that favor pasture over forest overvalues agriculture and pastureland and makes it profitable to convert natural forest for these purposes when it normally would not be so.

To try and prevent the deforestation of the Amazon, organizations are planting trees to try and combat the cutting of others and also buying acres of the Amazon so they can protect the land.  There are lots of things individuals can do to help out.  Reduce the amount of paper you use my receiving your bills electronically instead of through the mail and when purchasing paper, pick paper that has a high percentage of recycled material in it. 

Another way to help out is to reduce the need of oil in your life. The burning of oil, gas, and coal is the primary cause of climate change, a trend that is threatening the stability of the global climate. Scientists have predicted that if we stay on our current path, global temperatures will rise between 2° and 9° Fahrenheit in the next century, a warming rate faster than any occurring in the last ten thousand years. In addition, oil exploration projects lead to toxic pollution and massive deforestation, posing a threat to pristine ecosystems and indigenous cultures worldwide.  You can help alleviate oil's impact on the environment by reducing your own oil and gas consumption. The next time you purchase a car, choose one that gets good gas mileage and avoid gas guzzling sports utility vehicles. If you drive somewhere regularly, start a carpool. Whenever possible, leave your car at home and instead walk, ride your bike, or take local mass transportation. Support funding for mass transportation and bike lanes, options that will serve our transportation needs and our planet much better in the long run than an ever-expanding maze of roads and highways!

Limiting the amount of beef we eat along with holding companies reliable for shady practices also helps out.  A majority of America’s beef is not marked on where it comes from and a lot of it comes from South American countries.  Countries clear this land so they can raise cattle.  Reducing your consumption of beef declines the need to clear more land for pasture.  Also holding companies accountable for mass waste and poor recycling practices helps point out ways companies can reduce their carbon footprint and actually help improve the situation.

My Reflection on the Assignment 

I’ve learned a lot from doing this assignment.  I’ve learned in more details about what’s going on in the Amazon and why it is while also learning ways I can prevent the further destruction of the Amazon.  You never really think much about issues that don’t affect you directly, but nonetheless they’re very important issues that will directly affect you over time when the issue becomes much more serious. 

By reducing my use of paper, eating less beef and trying not to use oil as much as possible, I believe I can make an impact without making much of a sacrifice.  We all want to live in a beautiful world and have our kids and their kids to live in a better world than us, but when the time comes where we can actually make an impact on the planet for the best, some don’t want to change and make small adjustments to their everyday life.  Such small changes, whether they’re good or bad can impact us for generations.  This assignment has opened my eyes and has showed me that there are more important things than just ourselves and helping to reduce our carbon footprint and stop the continued deforestation of the Amazon is one step closer to a better world.