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?
Reaction:
ReplyDeleteWow! I didn't know you could actually auction off part of a rain forests land. I always thought that there were laws protecting the rainforest. I also wonder what the money is used for. I believe it should be used for replanting the trees or helping the rainforests. Animals that live in the rainforests could get hurt because of the machines or tools .Others may want to leave because of the noise or other factors. I don't really think it is good for the rainforests because it may end up being that Brazil needs money so they try to auction off more of the rainforest. The rainforest should be kept the way it is.
Expansion:
http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-Do-We-Need-the-Rainforests?&id=3757118
http://www.therainforest.info/
These articles state why we really do need the rainforests and how important they are to our world and how some people actually don't even know life beyond the rainforests. People live in the rainforest and they have no connections with the outside world. Destroying the rainforests will destroy their way of life.
Reaction:Well, I think there needs to be considerence in the fact that alot of part of Brazil is the Amazon rain forest and economically, the Amazon is a very useful resource. I really do think that forest that are teeming with life, and help support Earth's enviornment really should be protected and it makes me ratehr sad whenever I see forest that has been smashed to pieces for construction, but there is also a need to understand the economic point of view in this matter. I personally think there should be a way to satisfy both the economic and enviornmental need, and to a point I think this plan satisfies the both sides. If the economic portion is satisfied, then there is a better possibility in people having lesser reason to damage the Amazon to make money. Though it is questionable how much portion of the Amazon is going to get auctioned off....
ReplyDeleteAnswer for question 2: I think Brazil has a long way to go before deforestation is over. The main reason deforestation is done by people is because they don't have the money or resources to survive. Considering the how big of a gap Brazil has currently between the rich and the poor, it will really take a lot of time to make the economy stable and allow the people that can only make money off of the Amazon to make enough money in a legal way. Therefore, 2020 in my opinion is bit too early for the deforestation of Amazon to end.
Reaction:
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I believe that this is not a very well thought out plan, and will not reach anywhere near its goal of ceasing illegal logging by 2012. If there are people illegally taking all the land they wnat for frre, why would that change to pay for a limited amount of land? Also, the article tated that the government is offering the auctions to private companies. But what if it's not only private companies that are doing the illegal logging? It makes me very angry when reading about this article, because Brazil's idea is very risky to the environment, and the environment can't afford any risks right now. I remember learning about amazon rain forests in science class, and how rare and important they our to our earth's environment. So I think that the Brazillian government should be treating the amazon less like a business and more like a crucial factor to our world's survival.
Expansion:
http://www.rain-tree.com/facts.htm
The link i gave is similar in the concept to Nasrine's expansion article. This website gives an abundance of facts, and basically everything one would want to kmnow about the rainforest biome. The facts range from the amount that is being lost and the importance of the rainforests to our environment, to its outstanding biodiversity and wealth.