The Amazon Rainforest
This report will focus on the Amazon Rainforest; it will be discussing both the deforestation and loss of biodiversity of the area. This report will cover causes of the deforestation and loss of biodiversity, and what we can do now to stop the destruction. One of the most amazing gifts on earth is being destroyed at an alarming rate. The Amazon Rainforest is facing many problems, and two are directly related to each other, deforestation and a shrinking biodiversity. Like most developing areas of the world, the countries that lay under the Amazon Rainforest are depleting their natural resources. The Amazon Rainforest may be the most important resource the world has left and needs to be protected at all costs. The Amazon Rainforest covers 2 Billion square miles of land and is disappearing at a rate of 10 thousand square miles per year. Many of the foods we eat today originated in the rainforest, but we use only a fraction of the edible plants of the rainforest. Almost one quarter of modern medicines come from the plants of the rainforest, and according to (Rain Tree.com, 1996) “Western science has analyzed less than one percent of rainforest plants for medicinal compounds and the indigenous tribes that use these plants are rapidly disappearing.” With the rapid deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest and the depletion of its biodiversity if something is not done soon all humans will suffer from the results. There is no easy solution to the problems faced by the Amazon Rainforest, but with a few action plans the total destruction of this great treasure may be avoided.
Many different problems cause the deforestation of the rainforest, including poverty, lack of knowledge and greed. Poverty contributes to the deforestation of the rainforest because people of developing countries are feel the must use their most abundant natural resources to gain wealth so that the can compete with developed countries. The use of natural resources in an area as large as the Amazon includes first removing the trees for wood products that are in demand, and then using the cleared land for agriculture, mining, and industry. Developed countries exploit the developing countries for their resources that they have already used up in their own countries, or because they want to save the resources in their own countries for use later when prices are higher and the resources of the developing countries are exhausted. Lack of knowledge leads to the deforestation of the Amazon in many ways, the developing countries don’t have a forward looking leadership that tells them that their resources will be worth much more in the future, or if used in different ways than depletion. If a leader doesn’t have a sound plan to deal with the economic crisis facing their country then one alternative is to use the countries natural resources. Greed is probably the largest contributor to the deforestation of the rainforest. (Rain Tree.com, 1996)“Some of these government concessions and land deals made with industrialists make the sale of Manhattan for $24 worth of trinkets look shrewd.” As stated above developed countries will exploit the resources of the developing countries, and a few corporations and individuals will get very rich along the way. Large multi-national corporations like BP strike deals with local officials to allow the corporation to explore for gas and oil, with almost zero regard for the environment or the people who have to live with the destruction they cause. God help the area if BP does find oil because they will suck the area dry leave a path of destruction behind and move on to the next area. Other Multi-nation corporations encourage the deforestation of the rainforest by buying the agricultural goods that are produced on the cleared land. According to (Rain Tree.com) “Logging concessions in the Amazon are sold for as little as $2 per acre, with logging companies felling timber worth thousands of dollars per acre”. Corporations, special interest groups, and individuals are getting rich at the expense of our environment. One of the largest areas of the rainforest that is being deforested right now is owned by the Maggi Group whose owner also happens to be the mayor of the state of Mato Grosso, Blairo Maggi. Mayor Maggi According to (People and Planet, 2005) is “Dubbed the King of Soy by some and King of Deforestation by others, his company plans to double its production next year”. When corporation and people are left to act only in their own best interests, people all over the world suffer the consequences. Checks and balances are put into place in most countries to avoid situations where the government gets to enact legislation or makes deals that are in the interests of the people running the government. When Blario Maggi only has to answer to himself it is a conflict of interest.
Biodiversity is the number of species living in a described area. The Amazon has the world’s largest biodiversity. (Rain Tree.com, 1996) describes the biodiversity of the Amazon as “It is estimated that a single hectare (2.47 acres) of Amazon rainforest contains about 900 tons of living plants, including more than 750 types of trees and 1500 other plants.” 750 types of trees living on just 2 acres of land is an astonishing number. More amazing is that According to (Rain Tree.com) “One single tree in Peru was found to harbor forty-three different species of ants - a total that approximates the entire number of ant species in the British Isles.” One of the major problems with eliminating the rich biodiversity is that we will never know what promises for the future the plant or animal we just killed could have. Currently 25% of western medications are derived for products of the rainforest but scientists have only been able to study and catalog 1% of the total plants of the rainforest. According to (Rain Tree.com) “The Amazon is by far the largest watershed and largest river system in the world occupying over 6 million square kilometers.” The Amazon River has 14,000 navigable miles of river and is 200 mile across where it dumps into the Atlantic Ocean. With 2000 different species of fish living in the Amazon River it has more biodiversity that the entire Atlantic Ocean. Estimates of between 50,000 and 500,000 species going extinct every year, and we are losing the opportunity to further the advancement of knowledge and medicine. The facts and figures give and idea as to the rate of destruction, what they don’t show are the long reaching affects of this total disregard for plants and animal species, or the affect of not knowing what we don’t know.
There are a number of things that can be done to stop the deforestation of the Amazon, and when the deforestation stops so will the loss of biodiversity. All of the measures that should be taken to end the deforestation will require the efforts of all of the world’s governments. Foreign governments should put a ban on the importation of Amazon hardwoods. If there is less demand for the trees that are being destroyed then the companies doing the destruction would have no reason to continue in that business. Foreign governments should also be the importation of soya beans grown on the land that has already been cleared. This would slow the growth of the agricultural companies that want to clear more land for their businesses to grow. Another important step for the world to take in stopping the destruction of the Amazon would be to have large corporations make significant investments in the countries where the rainforest resides that are not dependant on resources for the Amazon. Large corporations should use their positions to become good world citizens, and take responsibility for the environment. With sponsorship investment these developing countries wouldn’t have to rely solely on their natural resources as a means of capitol. Pharmaceutical companies should be investing heavily in the Amazon, it would be in their best interests to continue to prospect for the next cures to human illnesses. Pharmaceutical companies will make billions of dollars from medicines that are made with products of the rainforest; they could buy huge chunks of land and put them aside as protected. Foreign aid to the region that would encourage industries that do not damage the rainforest would be of great importance. The Brazilian government must also take their own action and use the means they do have to police the illegal activity going on in their own country. Plans will not work if there isn’t any muscle behind the enforcement. This is an extremely large area to police, so it will take many people and lots of money, but it will be money well spent on the investment of the world’s future. Individual actions will also help if enough people around the world demand an end to the destruction the governments of every nation will have to take notice.
The Amazon is so important to the world that according to (Nussbaum, 2004) “The tremendous number of trees and plants that characterize the Amazon region are responsible for providing the world with as much as 20% of its oxygen!” Not only does the Amazon produce 20% of the worlds oxygen the trees also remove carbon dioxide form the air making the loss of trees even more harmful to the atmosphere on earth. Carbon dioxide is also referred to as a greenhouse gas that many scientists believe is causing global warming. Global warming will change the earth’s sustainability, making the Amazon Rainforest maybe the most important to for human survival that we have. The Amazon Rainforest has been referred to in many places as the world’s lung and we all know how important our lungs are. Together if the world will commit to ending the destruction of one of our greatest treasures we will all live healthier lives. Now is the time for every citizen to make note of the products that are coming out of the Amazon Rainforest and refuse to purchase them. Demand that your government place bans on goods from the Amazon.
References
Nussbaum, M. (2004). The Amazon Rainforest. Retrieved May 10, 2007, from http://www.mrnussbaum.com/amazonia.htm
People and Planet (2005, June 6, 2005). Soya spurs rape of Amazon Rainforest. Retrieved May 10, 2007, from http://www.peopleandplanet.net/doc.php?id=2479
Rain Tree.com (1996). Rainforest Facts. Retrieved May 10, 2007, from http://www.rain-tree.com/facts.htm