Picture: This picture shows the amazon rain forest after a bunch of trees were chopped down. The Amazon, among many other rain forests, is slowly disintegrating due to things such as logging and forest fires.
Link: http://articles.cnn.com/2010-11-12/world/brazil.forest.auction_1_illegal-logging-deforestation-daniel-nepstad?_s=PM:WORLD
Summary: In Brazil, the government has started to auction certain parts of the Amazon rain forest to private companies for logging. Up to ten percent of the 280 million hectares of public forest could eventually be managed by logging companies. It seems like a bad idea, but according to the Brazilian government, it could actually help the rain forest by reducing the demand for illegal logging. Companies are only allowed to take 25 cubic meters of timber and have to make sure they do not damage any surrounding trees in the process. Daniel Nepstad, an environmental scientist who has studied the Amazon for 25 years, believes that working with the industries could help put an end to deforestation in the Amazon. He also believes that by 2020, there could possibly be no more deforestation in the Amazon. By allowing people to purchase the land to use for logging, they hope to put an end to illegal logging.
Reaction: In my opinion, I don't think that they should auction off parts of the Amazon, even if it is just to big logging companies. I just don't really think that will stop people from illegally logging. They might even do it more often because by auctioning it, that means you have to pay for it and a lot of people don't want to spend the money. There is a possibility that the companies may take more than they are supposed to. Even if there is an end to deforestation by 2020, there is already a lot of the Amazon gone. It will take a very long time for all of the rain forest to grow back. Maybe they could try and come up with an alternative to auctioning off parts of the Amazon.
Questions:
1) What kinds of things do you think they could do instead of auctioning?
2)Do you think there could be an end to deforestation in the Amazon by 2020?
3) How do you think industry would help end deforestation?
