Deforestation is the cutting of forests and trees where the land is thereafter converted to farming use or may remain idle and in the end be degraded in ways such as soil erosion or desertification. Examples of deforestation include change of forestland to farms, ranches, or urban use.
Deforestation trees are mainly used for charcoal, housing and mainly furniture. Deforestation results in loss of trees and loss of rain. When deforestation is procured in a place, it results in increased human settlement, loss of earth cover and involves increased logging. The trends that are involved include global warming, loss of rainfall which means reduced food supply, crop production, as well as the Amazon rivers dry.
The Social Domain Related to Deforestation and the Stake holders involved
Deforestation has been done for at least 10,000 years, people have destroyed the forests. In most developed countries the demand for forests has reduced nowadays; but in many tropical countries, they are the homes to about half of the remaining plantation forest.
For instance, in Congo, with more tropical rain forests than any other country apart from Brazil, the deforestation is mostly driven by the peasants , whose number is about to double on top of that increasing worlds requirement for food and fuels from biological organisms adding even more to the high temperature.
So does climate change. This is already happening in Canada, as well as in Australia, which forests have been destroyed by forest fires and droughts, which, in its turn, has greatly contributed to the climate change and global warming.
Deforestation enriches those who are practicing it, but in the long run it destroys the planet in many ways and deprives it of its nature and beauty.
The major stakeholders in the social domain are people involved in agriculture and infrastructure who have played a role of continuously depletion of the earth resources apart form development, growing and expansion of food resources as well also land for population settlement.
Political Domain and issues related to Regulation and implementation of Policies and the Position of the Brazilian Government.
In the political domain there is conflict in the effort to conserve the forests since some say the industrialization and urbanization have to take place first before conservation until Brazil provides jobs for people who are involved in cutting down trees,
Between the years 2006-2009 the rate of deforestation has dramatically reduced to a mere 7,000sqkm which is majorly contributed to government action and also due to tumbling prices for agricultural products and in comparison to the rest of the world. It has taken solid steps in restoring its Amazon basin since they believe they lead in green technology. It is seen that the Government sometimes favors deforestation
Challenges of Economic Domain and its Effect on Growth
Some of Brazils challenges in the Economic domain towards creating and maintaining economic growth have been majorly experienced since the tight measures were put to curb deforestation. Some of the challenges include soya and beef prices rising towards the end of 2007 which brought about renewed spurt of hacking and burning. Fortunately this was reduced.
Another incident of economic challenge was in May 2011 when the former environment secretary, Mator Grosson, was arrested over an allegation of logging scam. Some ranches are also linked to illegal cutting of trees and also slavery which is another downside of Brazils economy. Although deforesters have been fined, only 10% of the fined pay the penalties .This gives an opportunity for impunity to grab more land .The result of this is that a chance for land amnesty sooner or later is going to occur.
On the other hand, the inevitable criticism from landlords and their political counterparts has begun. Their argument is that there should be a reduction in the discussed private land area that should be covered by trees. This sounds unreasonable. Brazil will be holding a presidential poll next month and the front-runner, Dilma Rousseff, has a record of favoring destructive infrastructure projects in the Amazon and these are the major factors that are related to the downward trend of Brazils economic growth.
Business Domain and Related Industries and REDDS Impact by Contribution of Incentives
Main industries that are involved in this domain are the cultivation in Brazil in the Amazon of sugarcane, a source of bioethanol, demand for which is soaring with time.
Another business is Braskem, a big Brazilian petrochemical firm, which has developed a technique to make ethylene from bioethanol and will be opening the worlds first green plastic plant. Rebrand of Brazils economy as an eco-friendly producer could give it dominance of the most lucrative markets for its many agricultural products.
REDD which in full can be seen as the main international effort (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation), which gives incentives by paying people in developing countries to leave trees standing. It is also increasingly becoming common for governments and companies to pay for forest and other ecosystem services.
For instance, to protect its watershed, New York pays farmers in the Catskills not to develop their land. REDD schemes aspire to do this on a much larger scale. REDDS incentives are paid to places where the Amazon countries with the most important forests include some of the worlds most deforested places.
Stakeholders and their Contribution to the success of Reforms
Stakeholders have majorly contributed by being in the initiative to support green energy and have come up with new initiative of planting trees.
Brazilian Point of View on Natural Protection and Economic Growth and their effects on Environmental Regulations
Comment on Brazils trade-offs between natural protection and economic growth Brazil can take credit since its deforestation rate slumped (Ki-moon, Ban 1). This is mostly attributed to the Amazon beef campaign which majorly occurred between the years 2006-2009 where the level of deforestation has reduced to a mere 7,000sq km which was majorly contributed by the tumbling prices for agricultural products.
In the economical growth Brazils big benefit is its abundance of water, land and sunlight, together with an increasing capability to utilize the resources to best gain. Brazil receives about 45% of its power from sources that are renewable and has been successfully developing green technology (Ki-moon, Ban 1).
One great expertise is the Braskem technology, It is one of the biggest petrochemical firms in Brazil, It has come up with a method to make ethylene from bioethanol which is an organic compound and will be able to open the worlds first green plastic firm. This would rebrand Brazil as an eco-friendly producer and would give it supremacy over the most lucrative markets in the agricultural products industries.
Most households and businesses make a living using forest products which affects Brazils efforts to tighten the environmental regulations since this greatly kills the efforts to tighten the regulations because those in the law are the major offenders like the permanent secretary and the presidential contender who is seen to be bringing destructive laws to change (Ki-moon, Ban 1).
Distribution of National and Local Power towards Environmental Reforms
In Brazil there are excellent forest operators, but they require help. The Government would like to keep the more valuable forests to themselves while delegate other forests to the locals. Yet both share three features such as an emphasis on conserving the forests; prohibition on selling or clearing of forests; at times the less change is delivered by the government than what they initially promised (Ki-moon, Ban 1).
That is due to the efforts by the government to claw back regulations by use of myriad ways. Some of the ways are such as collecting firewood and hunting may be restricted. They may make it hard to obtain logging licenses and other permits .This makes forest management more efficient if functions are divided. The government leads through law enforcement because without the government no action can be taken.
Works Cited
Ki-moon, Ban. Less Smoke from Less Fire . The Economist 25 Sep. 2010 a. Print
Ki-moon, Ban. The Lungs of the World . The Economist 25 Sep. 2010 b. Print.
Ki-moon, Ban. Tree Money . The Economist 25 Sep. 2010 c. Print.
Ki-moon, Ban. REDDS Contribution . The Economist 25 Sep. 2010 d. Print.
Ki-moon, Ban. Community as Stakeholders in Environmental Preservation Actions . The Economist 25 Sep. 2010 e. Print.
Ki-moon, Ban. Deforestation not a small Problem . The Economist 25 Sep. 2010 f. Print.
Ki-moon, Ban. Efforts of Eradicating Deforestation . The Economist 25 Sep. 2010 g. Print.
Ki-moon, Ban. Deforestation and Economic Growth . The Economist 25 Sep. 2010 h. Print.
The wave of globalization has transformed the way human beings consume different materials and produce products that are marketed hundreds of miles away. The increasing demand for energy, food, bio-fuels, and tropical wood has affected the global environment. In southeast Asia, different forces and factors are currently driving the process of deforestation. The discussion presented below examines this problem from different perspectives, some of the possible causes, and proposes evidence-based solutions to transform the situation.
Deforestation and Driving Forces
Palm oil is currently supporting economic growth in different parts of South East Asia. However, many people and corporations have engaged in constant deforestation of the natural environment to acquire land for producing it. The demand for palm oil and its use as a bio-fuel means that more farmers and companies will be keen to maximize production. These aspects show conclusively that palm oil production is the primary force that is driving deforestation in the region (Wright et al., 2019). The participants involved or those who are taking it to the next level include companies that rely on the product, farmers who want to transform their livelihoods, and corporations that have been investing in plant-based oil.
The need for companies to minimize carbon emissions has triggered an increasing demand for bio-oil. Most of the involved organizations and producers have partnered to maximize output. Different farmers have appreciated the benefits and rewards associated with palm oil since it requires little land, chemicals, and management. Additionally, many citizens in the region have been facing poverty and inequality over the years. The demand for palm oil has encouraged them to maximize production and transform their life experiences (Siregar & Tan, 2019). The region has also capitalized on the existing climatic conditions to grow the plant and increase its bargaining power in the globalizing world. These descriptions reveal that economies, culture, and politics have a role to play regarding the expansion of palm oil fields and the increasing level of deforestation.
These forces are both local and global since they attract SE Asians as key stakeholders while influencing economic performance in different parts of the world. Locally, many citizens, government officials, and environmentalists have been involved to strike a balance between palm oil production and deforestation (Villadiego, 2018). Similarly, international corporations, policymakers, and environmentalists are involved to minimize greenhouse gases emissions at the global level. The international community is also considering how different stakeholders can address the problem of deforestation.
Impacts of Palm Oil Deforestation
Palm oil deforestation has emerged as a major challenge that has numerous negative impacts that can affect local societies. First, this problem is encouraging more partners, farmers, and companies to deforest more land to cultivate palm oil. Such malpractice has affected the integrity of the natural environment and the ecological system (Martinko, 2018). Second, increased levels of palm oil deforestation have disoriented or changed the climatic patterns of such regions. These developments have triggered new conditions characterized by extreme temperatures.
This deforestation triggered by palm oil farming has affected the global society in various ways. First, the process of climate change affects different regions across the world due to changing rain patterns. Second, palm oil is becoming a common product cultivated in various continents (May-Tobin, 2014). Latin America has been considering such a practice as a way to improve economic performance and support peoples lives. Third, the produced oil is eventually used in industries and automobiles across the globe ( About, n.d.). Such a development creates a new scenario whereby many countries record increased levels of greenhouse gas emissions.
Similarly, palm oil deforestation is becoming malpractice that has significant impacts on many people. For instance, some individuals are displaced from their regions to pave way for agricultural activities. They also find it hard to live in unpolluted and healthy environments. The trends associated with palm oil production have affected many children negatively since they are required to provide cheap labor (Gies, 2014). Such individuals find it hard to complete their studies successfully. Consequently, the cycle of poverty remains a major challenge in SE Asia. The environment has also been affected negatively due to the loss of fauna and flora. Its integrity becomes obliterated, thereby being unable to support the lives of different creatures, such as wildlife and domesticated animals.
Possible Solutions
The above problem has the potential to affect the integrity of the global environment and worsen the experiences of many people across the globe. I believe that various solutions are possible to solve this challenge. First, sustainable palm oil production processes are needed whereby different stakeholders consider new ways of conserving forestlands while at the same time maximizing the production of palm oil ( Our global goals, n.d.). Second, individuals can consider the importance of agro-forestry and combine the trees with native ones in different parts of SE Asia to reduce the current challenge of deforestation (Johnson, 2014). This approach will ensure that more people do not destroy their surrounding environments to achieve their potential.
Third, different stakeholders can collaborate to sensitize farmers and encourage them to focus on high-priority landscapes to promote cultivation processes that are sustainable. Fourth, the international community can join hands to deliver better production systems and reduce the level of deforestation. Fifthly, the consideration of research and development (R&D) can become a new opportunity to find better alternatives to palm oil that do not pollute the environment or trigger increased levels of deforestation.
In the recent past, some stakeholders have been considering various efforts to deal with this challenge. For example, the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) has been engaging in advocacy to provide advice to local farmers and promote sustainable practices ( The search for sustainable, 2019). In Indonesia, some district governments have promoted participatory plans to promote farmland management and improve the sustainability of the available forests ( The search for sustainable, 2019). Different agencies and industries relying on palm oil have introduced additional deforestation policies that compel farmers and producers to protest the surrounding environment and ensure that their practices are sustainable (Johnson, 2014). Some professionals have gone further to propose better alternatives to palm oil that do not threaten the integrity of the natural environment.
Conclusion
Palm oil deforestation remains a major challenge that affects both local citizens and global stakeholders. This problem continues to threaten the integrity of forests in SE Asia. The solutions outlined above are essential and capable of transforming the situation and improving the experiences of both capitalists and farmers at the international level. The concept of R&D is, therefore, needed to provide superior measures that can minimize the negative implications of palm oil, promote sustainability, and ensure that more people are able to achieve their economic aims.
Wright, R., Watson, I., Booth, T., & Jamaluddin, M. (2019). Borneo is burning: How the worlds demand for palm oil is driving deforestation in Indonesia. CNN. Web.
All inhabitants of the mountain forest receive the Wolves bawl with mixed reactions; depending on the nature of relationships existing between them and the wolves. To the Wolf, its loud bawling may be a sign of adversities it faces daily, but to other inhabitants of the forest, its echo implies something else depending on whether they are predators or victims. For example, to the Deer, the echo makes it alert due to awaiting danger, whereas to the hunter the bawling is a warning of the awaiting dangers. To humans, the wolfs echoes and signs of their presence also send feelings down their spines; for are signs of adversity that await them (Leopold, 2010, p.1).
Seeing a wolf die proved to be the nature of animosity that exists between these members of the same habitat. This happened the other day when we were having lunch by the riverside on a big rim rock as we watched the water flow downstream. As it was usual that, its only Deers that swim in this river, this day it was different because after carefully watching as the animal swimming emerged out of the water, to our surprise it was a group of Wolves. As it was usual, the best thing one could do to wolves is to kill them, which we went ahead and did. Although the whole experience was exciting, it changes a lot my perception of wolves a: fewer wolves, more deers and better hunting opportunities (Leopold, 2010, p.2).
Since that experience, I have observed countries reduce their number of wolves and deers. This has not only happened to animals, but also to plant species, hence depriving the mountain of its habitats. This makes one thing clear all the mountain habitats are in danger of extinction, owing to the fact that the rate at which the forest predators are destroying it is faster than nature can replace it. It necessary to note that, the fear by humans of wolves trimming their herds, is not comparable to the fear they should have of their herds destroying natural habitats. Owing to the fact that humans strive for safety by using all means to eliminate obstacles surrounding their results to one simple thing; peaceful existence. In most situations, this is never the case because complications associated with such safety measures seem to have more harm than gain to both humans and their environments (Leopold, 2010, p.2-3).
Summary of Excerpts
Naturally, the creation duty belongs to only poets and gods, a duty other society members can do with know how. A simple task as panting trees needs one to apply common sense and dedication. This is because although tree planting has no immediate fruits, in the end it will result in good results (Leopold, 2010, p.1).
There exist clear differences when comparing past living standards and present one, which humans have always fought to improve. Maybe their struggles are main causes of the currently existing lack of environmental peace. Although industrial development and innovations make living comfortable, one main question that lacks proper answers is; what are their contributions to the well-being of the environment?
From the Darwinian thoughts of human existence, all creatures must exist in harmony for life to have a meaning; a policy that humans have failed to obey. No living creature can live as an island because the interdependence makes life worthy, something that seems like a dream in present times. This is because egocentric thoughts drive humans, hence lack of respect for other living species. Humans can liken this to the Cro-Magnon who kills with thoughts of juicy meat, forgetting they are eliminating important species. This egocentrism has made humans to only care about their personal well-being; a practice that other living species could adopt were they humans too (Leopold, 2010, p. 2).
The preservation of the worlds natural habitats and living organisms is the primary aim of land ethics. Although this is the case, humans have failed to adhere to this because they have adopted practices that have contributed to environmental degradation for example, sewage disposal into water bodies and uncontrolled destruction of vegetation. All these have led to great environmental degradation; a practice that is reversible if only humans could take responsibility of their actions, hence respect all Gods creation the respect they deserve (Leopold, 2010, p.3).
Conservation efforts should not only emphasize preservation of one living species while destroying the other, but rather should aim to preserve all living species. For example, individuals cannot argue that, they are conserving water while cutting trees. The two have a correlation hence; destruction of one affects anothers existence. Land issues are complex owing to the relationships that exist between world living species, hence the need for collective efforts when it comes to conservation (Leopold, 2010, p.3).
Most destroyers of the world habitats are those who solely depend on them for a living. Although thy always promise they will protect this source of their livelihoods, there is little they do, hence even degrading the environment more. This makes it clear that, currently adopted poor environmental protection policies are main contributors to existing land problems (Leopold. 2010, pp. 3-4).
Most individuals aim to satisfy personal aims like having beautiful houses, educating there children but one thing they have never endeavored to do is return back to mother nature profits it gives them. This is because everything thriving on earth originates from the earth. For example, individuals can socially look down upon a country because it is poor; something that never happens to a degraded environment.
Compounding these factors has made propagating of ecological education hard, hence continual degradation of the environment. One such factor causing havoc to the environment is development, where humans consider economic gain more important that anything else no even physical fitness. Economic factors have caused the destruction of habitats to pave way for construction of houses and industries, forgetting impacts such developments can have on the environment (Leopold, 2010, pp. 7-9).
In conclusion, all this factors result due to egocentrism, whereby humans aim to do well and please themselves while forgetting the environment they are destroying is where livelihood thrives. For example, government can clear natural habitats for road constructions, forgetting that in the process they are contributing to extinction of some plant species.
Reference List
Leopold, A. (2010). Wolves and deforestation: thinking like a mountain. Dead trees EF. Web.
Leopold, A. (2010). Excerpts from the works of Aldo Leopold. Web.
The selected picture (figure 1) shows a green forest, which is represented in the form of human lungs. You can notice that one part of the forest has been cut down, which is why there is only empty brown earth in this place of the forest in the form of lungs. This painting uses symbolism to convey the relationship between forests and the health of human lungs. The authors of the image want to convey the basic idea that the problem of deforestation is relevant today. The main idea is that the more forests are cut down, the less oxygen is left for people. Thus, the picture evokes emotions and empathy in the audience. It shows that with the felling of trees, not only the forests themselves suffer, but also your lungs.
If to pay attention to the details, as already mentioned above, there is a black area on the site of the felled trees, where the black stones lying on the ground could be noticed. When there is a lung disease in humans, black areas on the lungs appear; further, this leads to serious diseases such as cancer. This parallelism makes the image realistic, evoking associations among the audience. In fact, the picture very realistically shows the real lungs of a person by imitating the structure of the lungs using lightpaths between trees. It is worthy of paying attention to the colors used in the image. Green is a symbol of life, and the dominance of the green color in the picture demonstrates the importance of forests in human life.
Contrarily, the brown color is a symbol of death, and the brown stands for the adverse consequences of deforestation for the whole of humankind and the environment. The color of the sky is not bright, it is gray, and there is an abundance of clouds. These clouds block sunshine, symbolizing the disappearance of hope. However, there is no total darkness; there is still some sunlight going through the clouds and falling into the forest. It means that there is still hope to save forests. I think the image is trying to convey the message that the more trees cut down, the less sunshine or less hope for life will remain.
The space taken by the sky in the image is not so big, and a clear sky is covered by clouds. The clear sky here is a symbol of a sustainable future. It could be noticed that in the area where trees were cut down, there is still some instrument for further work. That could mean that people are going to continue destroying forests and are careless about the problem. At the same time, they are careless about their health and future. Next, it is seen that there are several trees apart from the main forest. This means that people are thinking about plants as an endless resource, assuming that there are still many trees remaining. However, it is not true, and in the image itself, the number of trees standing behind the forest is small.
The image primarily introduces the cultural issue of deforestation. Deforestation is a global issue that causes many environmental problems and health-related issues among citizens. The commercial is called Before its too late, (WWF), which has its particular role and message. The image says, stop deforestation before it is too late. It might be too late for the environment since the whole forest has disappeared. In another way, it may be too late for humans since their lungs, and overall health is under threat. The audience might interpret the phrase in both ways; however, it is still understandable that it might be too late for both the environment and your health. Thus, the connection between these two terms is strongly presented by the commercial.
The commercial campaign seeks to address the idea that because the forests are being damaged for industrial and agricultural purposes, people are losing the essential thing in their lives, which is air. Today, when the air is extremely polluted, especially in regions with a high concentration of carbon dioxide and methane, green trees are essential. Texts cannot exist on their own since they are affected by outside topics and cultural trends (Bullock & Goggin 114). Thus, in order to understand a given text, it is required to look for a larger context. The term deforestation is related to the impact of human activity impact on the environments state and all the alive organisms on the planet.
Human activity influences and enhances climate change, which leads to global warming (Viana 177). This creates a risk of various diseases and other problems related to heat extremes, floods, and changing sea levels. Because of the economic activities, human actions are contributing to such environmental issues as air pollution, deforestation, and land degradation. Such changes, in turn, increase many diseases, such as respiratory diseases and cancer (Viana 178). Forests are a major oxygen source for humans; thus, destroying them will bring oxygen depletion, which will lead to the death of alive organisms.
The next aspect of the text that I would like to emphasize is that the size of the disappeared forest is quite impressive. It can be seen that a big part of the forest was simply cut down. Because if this were not the case, then the forest could become rarer evenly throughout the site. This shows that human influence is the cause of the situation depicted. Thus, the campaign emphasizes the threat of human manipulation of nature, in particular forests. A big ethical controversy may occur at this point. If humans are those who destroy forests, it would mean that people are damaging their own health.
Deforestation is a major concern, especially for developing countries. Many studies assume that because of the actions being held in the developing countries, there is a risk for them to become vast deserts and watersheds. The term deforestation describes different changes in various ecosystems; however, it influences a specific geographical area. Hence, deforestation causes severe problems in the affected regions. The disappearance of forests could negatively affect the wood fuel supply for household energy, water resources, and, consequently, the quality of life. In fact, deforestation can lead to global repercussions since the global carbon cycles will be changed.
The main message of the text is that by cutting trees and destroying forests, humans are pushing themselves to death. The campaign stands against cutting forests and addresses the issue of deforestation as a severe global problem. The author is conveying the idea that the trees are doing functions of the lungs for the whole planet and all the global citizens.
Works cited
Bullock, Richard Harvey, and Maureen Daly Goggin. The Norton Field Guide to Writing, with Readings. WW Norton, 2019.
Viana, Virgilio. Health Climate Justice and Deforestation in the Amazon. Health of People, Health of Planet and Our Responsibility. Springer, Cham, 2020. 165-174.
The Amazon forest is one of the worlds most important ecosystems because of its role in regulating oxygen and carbon cycles in the atmosphere (Nepstad et al., 2009). However, recently, there has been a rapid increase in deforestation levels in the natural ecosystem, thereby threatening its sustainability (Araujo, Combes, & Feres, 2019; WWF, 2020). Reports indicate that Amazons landmass is depreciating at an alarming rate with statistics suggesting that the forest loses trees covering the land size of 30 football fields every minute (World Bank, 2020). Additional statistics from the World Bank (2020) give extra details of the destruction by showing that up to 600,000 square kilometers of forestland have been lost due to deforestation. The rapid rate of decline can be traced to the 1980s when Brazil and neighboring countries were experiencing a rapid rate of the industrial revolution, which created an increase in resource demand. It is estimated that about 80% of the lost forestland described above started at this time (World Bank, 2020). These statements suggest that the Amazon may quickly lose its ecological capability because it cannot withstand the ongoing rate of deforestation. The main driver of these destructive activities is agriculture (Ometto, Aguiar, & Martinelli, 2011). Particularly, unplanned farming has been the greatest contributor to the effects of deforestation in the Amazon.
The task of protecting Amazons forestland has been reserved for government authorities who understand the unique needs of each zone of the forests landmass (Pfaff et al., 2015; Moutinho, Guerra, & Azevedo-Ramos, 2016). However, they have failed to achieve their intended goal, which is to reduce or minimize the rate of ecological destruction in the forest. This is because their plans have not been developed with an ecological mindset. In other words, at the core of their design is an extraction mentality that is premised on resource exploitation, as opposed to environmental conservation (Evangelista-Vale et al., 2021). In this regard, they support efforts to build more roads and expand large-scale livestock rearing, at the expense of existing ecological considerations.
It is important to analyze Brazils policy regime of environmental protection to mitigate the effects of deforestation. This analysis may have policy implications on Brazils agricultural policies and land use regime with spillover effects being noted in logging and timber industries that benefit directly or indirectly from deforestation in the Amazon (Assuncao, Gandour, & Rocha, 2015; Stabile, 2020; Yanai et al., 2020). This policy analysis report is domiciled in the evaluative, as opposed to the selection stage of policy analysis because relevant policy programs relating to Amazons conservation efforts have been identified below and there is a need to understand their merits and demerits to come up with updated ones.
Critique of Policy Option
Political developments in Brazil and the ineffectiveness of existing policy proposals to mitigate the effects of deforestation on the forest have largely contributed to the ecological destruction of the Amazon rainforest. For example, political declarations made by President Meicher Temer about the conservation of the Amazon rainforest have undermined efforts to dissuade locals from destroying the forest (Pereira, 2019). The effects of failed political promises to direct funds into the ministry of environment, which is tasked with the responsibility of managing the forest, have compounded the problem. Consequently, government authorities have been unable to police logging activities in the forest (Pereira, 2019). This weakness in implementation means that Brazils political class has played a role in undermining conservation efforts in the Amazon rainforest.
Although the current policy regime is intended to reduce deforestation levels in Brazil, current policy and regulatory frameworks undermine this goal because it creates conditions that reward the opposite outcome (Rausch and Gibbs, 2021). Particularly, the effects of the current policy environment on conservation efforts at the Amazon are influenced by a distorted understanding of sustainable development goals, whose achievement is hindered by the quest to meet short-term economic interests, such as employment, at the expense of long-term goals, such as environmental protection. Andrade (2020) has delved deeper into this issue by stating that most concepts of environmental sustainability are designed with cultural and economic implications in mind. However, the current policy regime on environmental management policies in Brazil fails to acknowledge cultural variations and the economic cultures of various communities surrounding the Amazon. These gaps in implementation create variations in policy implementation and formulation processes, thereby making it difficult to create a holistic conservation plan. Consequently, it is important to come up with new policy proposals to address this need.
Policy Alternatives
Policy Alternative 1: Promoting Sustainable Infrastructure
Given the weaknesses of the current policy regime in regulating economic activities in the Amazon rainforest, there is a need to undertake extensive reforms that will seal the implementation gaps evident in the current plan. To achieve this goal, authorities should create a policy framework promoting sustainable infrastructure, as proposed by the WWF (2020). This proposal is centered on recognizing the ecological effects of economic activities and factoring in their value in the countrys taxation regime, especially on activities that depend on logging activities.
Policy Alternative 2: Creating a Conservation Fund
Part of the challenge associated with implementing the current policy proposals for conserving the Amazon rainforest has been traced to a lack of funds. Particularly, this problem stems from the political establishment in Brazil, through the Office of the President and the Ministry of Environment, which has failed to allocate adequate funds towards conservation efforts in the forest (WWF, 2020). To address this problem, there needs to be a restructuring of the financing framework supporting financing activities at the national governing council of the forests management body. This proposal may involve donor participation at both private and public levels through the establishment of a common fund. The resources could be used to expand policy implementation activities in the forest and purchase vital resources for patrolling vast swaths of land. Realizing the full benefits of this plan involves changing the financial policy regime of the government to include contributions from both private and private players to create a common pool of funds for financing policing activities.
Policy Alternative 3: Implementing Place-Based Conservation Programs
Changing Brazils policy regime of conserving the Amazon from one that is heavily government-centered to a place-based approach would boost efforts to conserve the forest. Notably, this plan will help to stop the illegal expansion of agricultural land in the forest (Scholz, 2005). Furthermore, it is designed to ensure that all players or stakeholders involved in conservation efforts meet their end of the bargain (WWF, 2020). This goal will be achieved by blending two approaches. The first one is premised on developing programs that involve the contribution of government agencies in management, while the second one should be focused on forging partnerships between market-based players and agricultural producers. Such engagements may be localized using the place-based conservation approach where efforts to protect the forest will be spearheaded by local authorities, subject to the terms of the partnership agreements described above.
PESTLE Feasibility Analysis
For purposes of understanding the feasibility of implementing the above-mentioned policy alternatives, it is important to understand the effects of environmental factors on the policy adoption process. This process underscores the importance of reviewing the political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental aspects of the policy implementation plan. The PESTLE analysis below will be used to carry out this review.
Political: The policy alternatives identified above require the participation of government agencies in their implementation phases. This plan is intended to secure government support when introducing policy alternatives.
Economic: The involvement of both private and public players in the establishment of a common fund for managing conservation activities in the Amazon rainforest means that the policy alternatives will be sufficiently financed. Coupled with the annual contributions made by the Brazilian Ministry of Environment towards the same cause, there is potential for the proposed interventions to secure adequate financial support for implementation.
Social: The three proposed policy interventions outlined above involve local communities in the implementation of conservation efforts in the Amazon rainforest. Particularly, the place-based conservation approach utilizes community resources in implementing the proposed plans. This action means that community support will be essential in adopting proposed policies.
Technological: Information, communication, and technology resources are crucial in implementing the policy proposals highlighted above. Particularly, they will be instrumental in creating a sustainable infrastructure for implementing the proposed plans through systems integration and supervision of policing activities, such as the use of surveillance cameras.
Legal: The policy proposals outlined above require legislative changes to finance the implementation directives outlined above. They allow for the inclusion of more players in the policy implementation process, thereby strengthening the legal basis for introducing new policy plans.
Environmental: Protecting the Amazon through the aforementioned policy proposals is intended to maximize the environmental objectives of the policy alternatives. This goal is the common identifier for all initiatives to be undertaken by concerned parties in Brazil regarding efforts to protect the Amazon rainforest.
Recommendations
Overall, it is important to take action to mitigate the negative effects of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest. Changing the policy regime of the Brazilian government to reduce the effects of deforestation will play a key role in promoting the development of a green economy, which will also subsidize the demand for logging and deforestation in the forest. The policy proposals outlined in this document will help Brazil to understand the value of its natural resources, and more importantly, those from the Amazon forest. Doing so will enable them to have a deforestation tax imposed on all economic activities in the sector. However, the plan should involve all stakeholders to improve their buy-in. This proposal will act as a deterrent to ongoing deforestation practices on Amazon.
References
Andrade, F. M. (2020). Sustainable development in the Brazilian Amazon: Meanings and concepts. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 28(187), 1-12.
Araujo, C., Combes, J., & Feres, J. (2019). Determinants of Amazon deforestation: The role of off-farm income. Environment and Development Economics, 24(2), 138-156.
Assuncao, J., Gandour, C., & Rocha, R. (2015). Deforestation slowdown in the Brazilian Amazon: Prices or policies? Environment and Development Economics, 20(2), 697-722.
Evangelista-Vale, J. et al. (2021). Climate change may affect the future of extractivism in the Brazilian Amazon. Biological Conservation, 257(2), 1-10.
Moutinho, P., Guerra, R., & Azevedo-Ramos, C. (2016). Achieving zero deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon: What is missing. Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene, 4(1), 1-10.
Nepstad, D. et al. (2009). The end of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. Science, 326(5958), 1350-1351.
Ometto, J. P., Aguiar, A. P., & Martinelli, L. A. (2011). Amazon deforestation in Brazil: Effects, drivers and challenges. Carbon Management, 2(5), 575-585.
Pereira, E. (2019). Policy in Brazil (2016-2019) threatens conservation of the Amazon rainforest. Environmental Science and Policy, 100(3), 8-12.
Pfaff, A. et al. (2015). Protected areas impact on Brazilian amazon deforestation: Examining conservation development interaction to inform planning. PLoS ONE, 10(7), 1-17.
Rausch, L. L., & Gibbs, H. K. (2021). The low opportunity costs of the Amazon Soy Moratorium. Frontier for Global Change, 4(2), 1-19.
Scholz, I. (2005). Environmental policy cooperation among organized civil society, national public actors, and international actors in the Brazilian Amazon. The European Journal of Development Research, 17(4), 681-705.
Stabile, M. (2020). Solving Brazils land use puzzle: Increasing production and slowing Amazons deforestation. Land use Policy, 91(3), 1-11.
Yanai, A. M. et al. (2020). Deforestation dynamics in Brazils Amazonian settlements: Effects of land tenure concentration. Journal of Environmental Management, 268(23), 1-11.
Deforestation is an environmental threat not even in Cuba alone but also worldwide. The effects that it causes are always in one way or another felt by the farthest of the States in the entire universe. To this effect, this paper addresses the impact of deforestation in Cuba and the solutions available to manage the impacts.
The political shifting dynamics of Cuba influenced the countries environmental aspects. The different political eras brought about great impacts to its natural resources. The changes in political dispensations in Cuba immensely influenced the environmental management of the natural resources throughout the Cuban development as a country.
Over the three political eras, which include Neo-colonialism influenced by the United States, the Revolutionary era followed closely by the coming of the Soviet Union communist regime, deforestation has been a major concern. Currently, the Special Period also has had great impact on the environments management of the natural resource. Cuba was known for its forestry cover that deteriorated with time.
Forests are very essential in the regulation of the climate and maintenance of the biosphere integrity. Forests are beneficial to humans in many different ways. For instance, they are an important source of timber and food. Additionally, some of the plants found within forests have a medicinal value.
They also provide good sports for recreational activities. The richness in ecosystem led to deforestation of the Cuban ecosystem. Research has shown that deforestation plays a great role in increasing anthropogenic carbon emissions. This is detrimental even to the human health in Cuba and its environs.
Causes of deforestation
One of the most significant aspects during the political eras in the nation that characterized the political development was the fluctuation in deforestation. Rudel (1994) notes there is a socio-economic connection as far as deforestation is concerned. This is so because as the increase in the living standards leads to equal increase in the consumption of forest products (p. 7).
The political dispensations as well as the socio-economic structures in Cuba were always significant in the management of the Cuban environment. This, in return, led to great destructions of the forest cover.
From the beginning of the 20th century, Giraldo (2007) says, Cuba has experienced great improvement in the management of its environment demonstrating a vast improvement in the socio-economic situation of the country (p. 98).
According to Hornborg, McNeill, and Martinez-Alier (2007), the connection between the environmental changes and the societal processes defined the political ecosystem that Cuba has gone through during the three political eras (p. 87). Cuba is among the best islands that one could ever want to live in though the Spaniard colonial landowners destroyed most of its natural resources.
They burned down forests and obtained from the ashes enough fertilizer to enhance the growth of the highly lucrative coffee trees. It was later that Cuba was transformed into a land that exported the largest number of sugar, tobacco and coffee. All of which was achieved through destruction of the forests to pave way for the monoculture agricultural venture.
According to the Government of Cuba, the total forest cover fell from 89.2% in 1812 to 54% in 1900 (1993, p. 1). During the Spanish era, the forest cover fell by almost 35% due to the quest for timber. After the Spanish era, the United States took over bringing up an Amendment that ensured that they had the control over the Cubas natural resources.
This Platt Amendment caused the most deforestation. Cuba got involved with many countries for its sustainability that saw a lot of its economy get back on track. Later, Cuba was forced into self-reliance, which translated into over-reliance on agriculture leading to further deforestation to create more room for the venture. This led to destruction of water catchment areas, soil erosions among others.
The forests of Cuba under Spanish Colonization were seen as nothing more than lumber to build sugar mills, firewood to fuel them, and sources of stunningly fertile soil (Monzote, 2008, p. 45). Additionally, the Spaniards used the forests to build their ships and lumber destined for Spain.
They had no respect for the countrys natural state. With time, the population increased and this caused the need to expand the agricultural sector to cater for foreign markets and its bloated population.
There was a decrease in timber production due to the increased human action to the forests. However, the increase in not only coffee but also sugar plantations helped to curb the extreme effects of deforestation in the nation.
Its Impacts
The Cubas natural conditions revived in the nineteenth century and this led to the increase of deforestation to produce more sugarcane annually. The regeneration of the forest cover accounted for around 38 percent of the sugarcane production worldwide and around 25 percent of the total sugar supply (Hagelberg & Alverez, 2006, p. 24).
At the beginning of the twentieth century, Cuba exhibited a significant loss of its forest cover-38 percent. It was caused by the burning down of forests that occurred during the war that broke up that time. The social and political shift also led to deterioration of the forest ecosystem.
During the Neo-Colonialism, the United States managed everything and owned everything including the waters, the fertile lands for sugar cane production among others. It was during this period that degradation and deforestation was on the highest mark.
The merciless cutting down of trees to create more land for the sugar production was the benchmark in the Neo-colonial era. Additionally, exportation of wood and other forest products was very high. Moreover, charcoal, majorly used as the main source of cooking, destroyed the forests a great deal.
Deforestation in Cuba went a long way and many a time, the Cubans felt the need to reverse the situation though this was not possible then. There was a lot of foreign interference that hindered enactment of any conservatory law. It was in the year 1926 that President Machado approved the Decree 495 that prohibited any clearing of high woodlands whether private or government owned.
It was later enacted into law. Later on, the Revolution era brought about some equality as far as employment was concerned and improvements in education sector. The State took control over all the natural resources of the country and started saving forests and encouraging afforestation. Many policies were formed and the exportation of timber was banned.
When Castro got into power, he encouraged reforestation through construction of very many tree nurseries. However, poor education led to destruction of many seedlings. The forests cover nevertheless after training of the locals, increased by 5 percent. This increase in forest cover was because of the great management of timber harvest and reforestation.
Additionally, there was introduction of protected areas of forests with establishment of the first national park. The enactment of Law 33 enhanced the conservation of the protected areas. Houck (2000) says that, the law outlines the rational use of natural resources pertaining to sustainable forest protection activities (p. 56).
There were also establishment of legal frameworks pertaining environmental issues among which was the Law of Agrarian Reform. Additionally, there was the establishment of an advisory body called COMARNA that addressed forestry, fisheries among other areas. For every forest harvested, an equal quantity was planted.
The Special Period was majorly characterized by economic crisis that evolved by the Cuban State being dependent on itself for sustainability. During this period, there were no international ties whatsoever.
This led to the nation over depending on the forests for medicine, food, water and other needs eventually leading to more devastation to the forests. Deforestation surpassed afforestation efforts for people ended up depending on charcoal fully for fuel. Even so, there was a twenty-two percent increase in forest cover.
Graph 1. Forest Cover (percent) of Cubas Territory (World Resources Institute, 2003)
Policies to manage the impact
Additionally, some trees became extinct because of their over-usage like their leaves being used as fillers for pillows and mattresses and their trucks for construction of houses. Nevertheless, Cuba continued enforcing more stringent laws and policies for environmental conservation.
Some Laws included the Law of the Environment that addressed air, water, pollution, forests among others. Another legislature was the Forestry Act that ensured that the forest cover was addressed as well as providing framework for wood species preservation.
Conclusion
In order to satisfy the human needs in Cuba and the world at large, modification of the forest ecosystem was done. This coupled with the political interventions led to the destruction and construction of the Cuban forests. Cuba was known for its forest cover and many people depended on the forests for sustainability including non-citizens like during the Spaniard era where a lot of timber was transported to Spain.
It is clear that the population growth in the Cuban State brought about deforestation to create land for more arable farming than any other land use. However, the consequences of the farming brought about extensive deforestation and environmental damage (Williams, 2006, p. 32).
Later, colonialism and neo-colonialism aggravated the situation of deforestation. The situation worsened in the 1900 when the United States took ownership of the State managing everything including the people. It was until the State became sovereign managing all its resources without any interference from other countries that the forest cover got back on its feet again.
Forest management cropped up even in the education curriculums resulting into reforestation and even people started living as a community. Basic needs were provided that had demanded forest clearance like provision of alternative energies led to no more charcoal burning. Other agricultural techniques that demand lesser portion of land led to the conservation of the forests.
The improvement in environmental education that encouraged the central value of the forest ecosystems in Cuba, as well as the improvement in environmental law, policy-making and implementation led to sustainable forestry practices.
Additionally, deforestation, as an environmental concern with global effects, talks among the United Nations Forum on Forests have been conducted that will ensure a common forestry law.
The Law gives all the nations the freedom to maintain their forest cover and in case of a breach in the case, the Law allows punishment to the deviant nation accordingly. This will ensure that the countries that have great forest conservation techniques maintain the spirit because of their independence from political and social interference.
References
Giraldo, G. (2007). Cuba Rising in Major UN Indices. Medical Education Cooperation with Cuba Review, 6(2), 62-100.
Government of Cuba. (1993). Cuba: National Systems of Protected Area. Document: Information on Environmental Protection and Development Cuba, 10(1), 1-8.
Hagelberg, G. B., & Alvarez, J. (2006). Historical Overview of Cubas Costs of Sugar Production: Implications for the Future. University of Florida: Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
Hornborg, A., McNeill, J. R., & Martinez-Alier, J. (2007). Rethinking Environmental History: World-System History and Global Environmental Change. United Kingdom: Altamira Press.
Houck, O.A. (2000). Environment Law in Cuba. Land Use and Environmental Law, 16(1), 1-82.
Monzote, R. F. (2008). From Rainforest to Cane Field in Cuba: An Environmental History since 1492. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press.
Rudel, T. (1994). Economics of Climate Change: The Contribution of Forestry Projects. Washington DC: Springer Publishing.
Williams, M. (2006). Deforesting the Earth: From Prehistory to Global Crisis. Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press.
World Resources Institute. (2003). Forests, Grasslands, and Dry lands- Cuba. London: Oxford University Press.
The ability to understand and address the effects of deforestation and logging forms the basis towards sustainability of resources, greater social-economic development, political stability and ecological sanctity in the fast globalizing society. Deforestation is not a one state issue as it was previously thought.
In fact, it is a highly diverse aspect with far reaching implications to all environmental aspects. Lawrence et al (2012) point out that the current trend in deforestation around various countries across the world is shocking.
If this trend is not addressed, its cumulative effects would be irreversible and therefore greatly risk the existence of future generations. At this point, key questions that have frequently been asked have included the following: What entails deforestation?
How does deforestation affect a natural forest ecosystem? What are the main causes and resulting effects? What are some of the current efforts that have been put in place to address deforestation? Are these efforts efficient?
The current concerns on global deforestation have been examined in this paper as part of underscore its magnitude on a global scale and the litany of the disaster in the market. To indicate the road path that has resulted into the current precarious position and how it can be addressed, the national policy options have also been evaluated.
Finally, using the market to address the problem of deforestation and logging, the paper indicates the opportunities that can be assimilated to promote sound environmental practices that are equally sustainable while maximizing the returns to the people.
Background and overview
The ability to balance between economic development and natural resources capacity to sustainably maintain profitability forms the basis of the human race to match into the future with dignity and vitality.
Though the understanding of deforestation and logging as analysts concur is highly contested, the revelation of its related impacts has created a critical niche that demands involvement by all stakeholders.
Over the last few decades, the problem of global warming in conjunction with aspects such as deforestation have been cited as the most dangerous disasters in waiting on a global scale.
This has been the case due to its expansive deforestation and destruction of nature that makes even those not involved directly in its destruction to severely suffer the negative effects.
In their publication, Lawrence et al (2012) define deforestation as a permanent destruction of woodlands and forests. The definition points out at indigenous tree as well as vegetation cover which does not include plantations of pines and gums or industrial forests. The role that forest plays in the balancing of an ecosystem is very crucial.
Environmentalists indicate that besides being a source of materials human beings use every day, it serves as a habitat for endemic plants, birds and wild animals. The problem of deforestation has been massive in most regions in the world with recent reports from the World Bank showing a four fifth reduction of indigenous forest.
Other reports indicate that by 2011, half the total forest of the world had disappeared posing a threat to the majority of plant species and animals living in the tropical forests.
On the other hand, logging is part of deforestation whereby trees are cut, processed on-site and loaded into trucks. The latter is a silviculture activity with similar effects like deforestation.
While some would argue that the logistics behind logging is to remove wood from forest to a lumber yard outside a forest, it is imperative to note that the practice directly connects with deforestation. It is a theft of timber and violates the law.
The current fast deteriorating status of natural environment has greatly been caused by poor domestication, articulation, and harmonization of international laws by individual countries and states.
This has been prompted by lack of enough good will to address all issues relating to environment in a holistic outlook thereby compromising the overall resilience of the same natural resources.
Due to much bitterness, scholars have lamented about the reduced capacity to comprehend the inability of their non-inclusive sole conservation strategies which factors not the interconnectedness of the natural environment.
As a result, this has created a strong rift between the conservations and implementing bodies over who is to blame for the mayhem. Over the years, the desire to advance and grow both economically, socially, and culturally have been entirely dependent on nature.
Whereas various countries lag behind in implementation of different conservation laws in their jurisdictions, it is clear that the practice of deforestation and logging is committing the world into a more perilous state than it is currently.
Virtually all products and services are nature-derived. Even for the few that may claim non-derivative status, their transport and eventual spatial temporal application have great connotation of nature.
Studies indicate that deforestation is not a new phenomenon since it has been a difficult issue blamed on numerous factors. Lindsay and Thornton (2012) indicate that some one of the reasons behind deforestation is the growing need among agricultural dependent communities to convert forest and woodland areas into agricultural lands.
It is imperative to highlight that this has been a factor that has been motivated by the demand to feed the ever growing populations. Besides, many societies in tropical countries have over the years turned to cattle ranching and growing of cash crops to earn money and foreign exchange.
As a result, many large forest areas have been cleared and turned into farming zones for livestock breeding and cash crop farming.
Figure 2: A diagram showing deforestation
Additionally, deforestation occurs when businesses within an industry practice commercial logging. The latter has been a method widely used by industries that supply the world market with a variety of wood such as ebony, mahogany, teak, and meranti.
This practice has not only destroyed forests, but has opened up large tracts of land for agriculture. The felling of trees has not only stopped with businesses, but also the construction sector which relies on trees for building.
Effects of deforestation
Global warming and climate change
Global warming is the increase in the average temperatures on the troposphere due to excessive emissions of green house gases into the atmosphere. Scientifically, green house gases allow easy penetration of short wavelength radiations from the outer space while obscuring escape of the long wave radiations from the earth surface.
As a result, there has been a direct build up of the surface temperatures in the earth thereby causing vast climate changes. As a concern by the natural laws, this change has been directly linked to massive destruction of natural ecosystems in the world.
Excessive thawing in the polar regions, rising levels of the sea, loss of forests, flooding, higher levels of tropical weather systems and most importantly desertification.
Scientifically, carbon dioxide is an important component in green plants photosynthetic process. However, Lindsay and Thornton (2012) point out that human beings have constantly been clearing forests for agricultural purposes, urban development, settlements and industrial development.
Besides, forests have also been cleared as raw materials for wood based industries. On average, Masood and Shah (2012) indicate that about 80,000 acres of forests are cleared every day globally. As a result, the critical role of sinking the atmospheric carbon has greatly been compromised and therefore resulting to greater accumulation of greenhouse gases.
High levels of poverty
While many human activities on forest have been aimed at improving living standards through agriculture, it goes without mentioning that the deforestation has instead increased global poverty levels that have plagued the society today.
In their publication, Lawrence et al (2012) indicate that the immediate concerns for individuals clearing forests for agriculture or burning charcoal for money is neither conservation nor environmentalism. Rather, they are mostly concerned with basic survival. This practice therefore puts the environment under great pressure.
This coupled with intensified mechanization of deforestation by industries has resulted to extremely high rates of forest cover removal. The impact has been a devastating 13 million hectares of land being cleared down every year around the world.
This puts pressure on the natural resources and forest clearance either for alleviating poverty, raising economic status or promoting greater development through mechanization affects the balance in the ecosystem leading to poverty.
A more worrying effect to agree with Bonan(2008) is desertification. The rising temperatures as recorded over the years intensify the severity of draughts, by making more land uncultivable and less habitable.
Floods and submergence of coastal lowlands
According to Betts et al (2001), the rising temperatures over the years have resulted to excessive thawing of ice waters at the Polar Regions.
Consequently, the additional waters has resulted to key submergence and flooding of the low lying costal lands. Islands and low lying regions such as Venice, New Orleans and Indonesia have recorded key losses from floods (Lindsay & Thornton, 2012).
In the Caribbean, nations such as Cuba, Haiti and the Domican Republic which rely on beach tourism to support their economies have started experiencing major losses from floods and could be headed to major disasters if the problem is not addressed.
From the above analysis, it is clear that deforestation is one of the most critical aspects that require immediate address if the earth is to avoid major disasters. Cooperation and ethical responsibility is therefore critical for the risk to be effectively addressed.
Of greater importance is the need to assimilate better mechanisms based on research that provides empirical information on how to address the problem.
Besides, the future of individuals and businesses in the world is considered to be on a critical balance as states and their associated social-economic and political systems appear to differ greatly on the model that could be used to address deforestation and the awaiting disaster.
It is critical that the society at large take a leading role in progressively assimilating models that reduced felling of trees for whatever reasons. Due to the extent of the negative effects, corporate social responsibility by businesses should be taken with greater emphasis to link the respective stakeholders in addressing the problem.
For many years, trading in timber has been claimed to be a negligible factor in loss of forests. There has been a notion that wood fuel and agricultural land clearance are the most harmful forms of deforestation (Masood & Shah, 2012).
Growth in population is believed to be the cause of the major scourge in forestation. Industrial exploitation of wood is also a valid problem when it comes to the impacts of deforestation. Research has proven that there has been a misconception in the determination of the most relevant cause of forest loss.
Besides, the efforts by the international board of bio diversity preservation to define this problem are quite reliable. In its mission to enhance survival of the ecosystems, they have managed to give a clear picture of the problem at hand. It has been concluded that trading in timber is the most significant factor which leads to forest loss and degradation of the environment.
It is possible to conduct a detailed discussion which gives an account of how logging is harmful to forestation. This can be attained through pointing out realities which are on the ground. It is not easy to find a rich endowment of forests in areas which have large or small scale operations in timber harvesting.
Regions which have a high diversity of tree coverage have both old and valued trees. These are the major targets of commercial activities. It goes without saying that the more valuable a certain species is, the scantier it becomes as time progresses.
Hence, natural forests have been devastated. This is more rampant in areas where stewardship of forests is done by indigenous people or groups who are politically not empowered. A nominal state of control is experienced which later opens up forests towards deforestation.
The fact that these high diversified forests have a rich value has continued to draw growing attention. They have an established flow to markets given that they are easily acquired.
Commercial activities in timber industry have also led to reduction in the quality of forests. In a conservation perspective, it is true that there is no positive difference brought by replacing the worlds forest cover with plantations of trees. It should be noted that a principle of destroying in order to repair is not helpful at all.
It is a destructive plot which continues to abhor efforts of saving our ecosystems. It is also worth noting that the majority of native wildlife should not be destroyed intentionally with a mentality that replacement will be done in the near future.
Original native species should be left intact to continue multiplying. Even though it is impossible to retain a constant number of a given species, it is important to keep all rare trees alive. Replacing them with exotic types leads to the growth of weed species. This is as a result of cross pollinations which may not be easily curbed.
Poor quality of forests is being experienced across the globe. Most parts of Australia, North America, Europe and Africa at large have suffered greatly due to this problem. This is more felt in the biological value of forests. Analysis shows that the loss of trees which cover land has a far reaching impact than it is thought.
Quality in composition of forests is a basic intrinsic element which should be preserved to keep good ecosystems. This is because trees have different values. If ecosystems are not given a natural chance to have full development, then there is likelihood that forests will suffer numerous extinctions in the near future.
The impact of forest loss continues to be felt as time goes by. Forests have continued to grow scantly in different areas. Many countries have remained with fragments of what used to be areas of high forest cover. The only regions which seem to have rich forests are those which are next to human habitations.
The latter have proved to be less reliable due to the fact that timber trade has continued to grow. Actions of timber traders are at a critical level with the survival of biological forest. Ecosystems have been significantly affected in pursuit of timber (Lindsay & Thornton, 2012).
There have been years of continued degradation and as such, forests have terribly suffered. Areas with natural forest cover have remained to be the hope for future forestry. The earth has reached a point where it has vast pieces of land which had adequate forest cover but was cleared.
Young regenerations of such forests have minimal chances of survival because logging has devastated the available tree cover. Old forests have reached a point of no return. Research shows that if forests were not tempered with by timber harvesting, then flora and fauna would retain their primary growth.
Undisturbed forests are rear to obtain. They have been left in the hands of merciless activities of logging. It is evident that the quality of ecosystems in the current world has undergone gross degradation.
In a pursuit of what is believed to be sustainable development, nations have destroyed their rich natural ecosystem. Natural ecosystems are barely able to support life. There is a clear representation of the picture when chances of survival of given species of organisms are under the care of human beings.
The fact that people cannot stop commercial logging even after seeing its adverse effects is a solid prove of how tree life is no longer given the reverence it deserves. It should be noted that the activity of commercial logging is going to dilapidate ecosystems and posses a threat to the biological well being of both fauna and flora.
Assessments show that legal timber trade is harmful. In fact, deforestation due to illegal logging is negligible. Timber from illegal activities is a small percentage of the bulk that circulates in the global timer industry.
Logging has therefore proven to be a major cause of loss of forest cover. It is true that countries which carry out logging have a relatively high impact of losing sustainable ecosystems.
Indeed, the period of 30 years from now is very pivotal as far forest ecosystems are concerned. According to the current rate of commercial logging and deforestation for the sake of habitation, this period is going to determine the future of diverse natural forest ecosystems.
Policies interventions made during this period will play a vital role. An implicit decision of saving the worlds ecosystems is indeed vital (Masood & Shah, 2012).
This is a serious situation and more united stewardship of forests needs to be put in place. Governments should take this issue without hesitation. This is the time to regulate the international timber industry.
References
Betts, R. A., Falloon, P. D., Goldewijk, K. K. and Ramankutty, N. (2001) Biogeophysical effects of land use on climate: Model simulations of radiative forcing and large- scale temperature change. Agriculture for Meteor, 142, 216-233.
Bonan, G. B., (2008) Forests and climate change: Forcings, feedbacks, and the climate benefits of forests. Science, 320 (3), 1444- 1449.
Lawrence, P. et al (2012). Simulating the biogeochemical and biogeophysical impacts of transient land cover change and wood harvest in the community climate system model (CCSM4) from 1850 to 2100. Journal of Climate, 25(9), 3071-3095.
Masood, M., & Shah, F. (2012). Dilemma of third world countries problems facing Pakistan energy crisis a case-in-point. International Journal of Business and Management, 7(5), 231-246.
There are many issues that the earth faces and two big ones are the effects from littering and deforestation. These specific things affect the world around us and our communities. When people litter, they damage our oceans and when people chop down thousands of trees every day it damages a very crucial plant in the survival of all breathing things. The earth is where we as people live and create. Build families and friendships that last life times. I hate to see the world go to such a waste and stand by it by doing things like keeping plants around the home and recycling, trying to celebrate earth day every day like I hope many more will do after learning more about the affects these two issues have on the earth.
Around the world many people don’t really see how something as small as a plastic bag or a soda can can affect the earth. In truth, a plastic bag and soda can don’t do much but thousands or millions of them do. The litter adds up at an alarming rate and can take very many years to decompose if they even decompose at all. Things like plastic bags and bottles “can take up to 1000 years to decompose” (How Litter Impacts the Environment, 2016), and by then there will just be more sitting on top of the previous litter. So, if you thought waiting would just solve the issue you are wrong because as the old stuff is almost gone new stuff will either still be in the process or just put on the ground. Whenever you argue with someone you care for you try not to go to bed angry and thus fix the issue. You talk it out not just lather on more angry abuse or slurs that just cause the situation to become worse so why do that to your home?
There are communities out there that are really good at keeping the streets and surrounding rivers clean. Our own Third Ward has fairly clean streets, cleaner than other parts of the city. The river is not the greatest but that is why there is a group called the Milwaukee Riverkeeper that works to make the water clean again. The program was started in 2006 and “since that time have trained 230 volunteers who have monitored close to 170 sites throughout the Milwaukee River Basin”, (Milwaukee River Keeper, 2016). These volunteers are people from the community trying to make a change in the pollution of the water for the river to become a beautiful fishing place. There are many days I wake up and walk to class to just smell the stinky river. It’s not a good smell to say the least. What is a reason the smell is so bad? Well, within the last couple years Lake Michigan has had many problems facing litter and one big one in particular is tiny pieces of plastic.
According to chemist Dr. Sherri Mason who was testing the water in 2013, they found more than 19,000 strands per square kilometer during a 2013 sampling run. These tiny strands come from polyester found in sports jackets and other polyester jacks when put through the laundry. The strands are so small that they don’t get caught up in most filters and just get swept away into the lake. These plastic bits can also absorb chemicals and bacteria that can be very harmful to many marine life and to our water sources. Fishermen and marine awareness groups are also finding the tiny bits of plastic in fish because the smaller the piece the easier it is to get stuck in the stomach or intestines. The fish consume the plastic and, in turn, it is giving them a much higher chance to get toxic poisoning. Some toxins that are in plastics are PCBs, flame retardants, and polyaromatic hydrocarbons which can transfer from the plastic to the fish.
Along with the littering in the great lakes and oceans there is also a big global issue of deforestation. In the United States the issue isn’t as profound as it is in South America. The Tropical deforestation in the amazon is happening at an alarming rate and continues to skyrocket being one of the most damaging deforestation places in the world. Deforestation in the Amazonia had increased by almost one-third in the past year, and if that wasn’t bad enough 50 football fields of forest are destroyed every minute since the year 2000. This rapid take down of forests are done for room for agriculture, mining, and minerals. The locals in the area don’t get to see any of the profits either and if anything, are only affected by it. When they cut down trees at an alarming rate not only do they affect themselves in a sense but they also are affecting other locals in the area, animals. Any animal that lives in the Amazon gets greatly affected by the deforestation because the trees are their homes and protection. The deforestation in the Amazon has “condemned 38 species to regional extinction in coming years, including 10 mammals, 20 bird and eight amphibian species” and the numbers will only grow with more deforestation coming to the area.
The issues of litter and deforestation are a big conflict that can be helped even a little just by throwing away the trash in proper trash cans and recycling. When you see trash on the streets pick it up and throw it away or devote one day out of the week or month to going and picking up litter in your surrounding neighborhoods. Some other ways to fight against deforestation would be to go paperless, plant a tree or use only recycled materials. While I was scrolling through Facebook the other day I came across an ad that was about paper made from rocks. It was waterproof and felt mostly just like normal paper but the ad stated that it had a slight grit to it like if you felt the most ultra-fine sand paper on the planet. When I saw this I thought, wow that is so cool and I would love to have this and maybe just go completely rock paper. DIY network is a very popular channel to watch and there are many shows on Netflix and Hulu that are from DIY network. Some things they cover are other great ways to be a little earthier every day. Make a garden in your apartment or backyard by building simple little boxes to put around the home or out in the yard. Fill them with dirt and plant vegetables and pumpkins for the fall time. It is so satisfying to be one potato sort and to simply walk outside to grab another or make sweet strawberry jam to give your family and friends. Around my dorm, we have many plants and always try to recycle as effectively as possible. Two weeks ago, as I was waiting for the bus at around 5:30 am I started to pick up litter around the street. No one was around and it just seemed weird to have it be so silent almost so I felt restless. When I was done cleaning the single block I felt for a moment pride in myself and gratification in seeing a sidewalk not filled with trash.
As someone who can be a “tree hugger” most of the time and loves to try to help the earth in my day to day activities, I hate to see how the earth is being treated. I grew up in the country and my house is nestled in a grouping on trees. I love to wake up in the morning with the simple pleasure of seeing shadows of leaves dance around my room when the sun comes up. If littering and deforestation continue the earth will continue to grow sick. Almost like one never ending stomach ache and head cold. I can almost go as far to saw this treatment of the earth makes humans out to be a very bad cancer tumor. We as people pollute the earth and in turn harm ourselves and animals with it. Littering and deforestation affect how the earth looks and how it can sustain life, our lives. Unless everyday day by day people don’t open their eyes and see what is happening I can only fear the worse. I can hope that picking up litter will soon become as popular as actors and tv shows.
Deforestation is an environmental problem which can damage the habitats and the soil through erosion (Locatelli et al., 340). It is the cutting of trees which leads to the decline of forests. It is also a permanent destruction forest as a way of making land available for other uses such as settlements and farming. FAO notes that human activities have managed to clear about half of the tropical forests in the world (Langer et al. 70). Deforestation is, therefore, an environmental issue which requires quick remedies. The most effective way of solving the issue of deforestation is through reforestation, saving wood fuel, and implementing eco-forestry. Reforestation, the opposite of deforestation, has many benefits such as better air quality, reliable and fresh water, a home for many wild animals and many more. Sloan (425) explains it as the process of replanting trees in an area which initially had been covered by forest. The process involves artificial plating of young trees or seeds or natural seeding. The trees which had existed in the land which is replanted had recently been cut down. Wood is an essential material which is vital for human survival. It is used as a fuel, as a building material, for its medicinal value among other numerous uses. It is also a vital source of income when sold. Reforestation helps in creating employment opportunities through managing the forests and also increasing the taxes imposed on property, especially on reforested land.
Also, when trees decompose, they add nutrients and enrich the soil. Trees also help in mitigating the effects of climate change, which is among the most significant issues that affect contemporary society. Sloan (430) further assert that climate change is as a result of global warming which emerges as a result of increased human activities, especially industrialization. Still concerning global warming, reforestation helps in preserving the endangered species which is a way of protecting them. These species are endangered because of loss of habitat which threatens their survival. It is essential in restoring the endangered species from extinction.
One of the primary reasons why people cut down trees is for use as fuel. It is essential for humans to understand the need for trees, and how they impact life in the ecosystem. It is therefore essential to supplement or substitute wood fuel with other forms of fuel. These include improved stoves, biomass, and coal. There are various programs which attempt to implement improved stoves as a way of bridging the gap of saving wood fuel. Practical Action (n.p.) explains that such improved stoves do not require a lot of money to purchase. The primary objective is to enable the program to reach self-sustainability of its production and distribution.
According to SunGlitz (n.p), coal is considered to be among the most abundant source of energy as compared to natural gas and oil. It is a good substitute of wood fuel which helps in saving the use of wood as fuel, which is a way of preventing deforestation. Its benefits include igniting at a temperature of more than 100 degrees higher as compared to wood. The fuel is denser than wood and burns longer and more steadily as compared to wood. Lombardo (n.p.) explains that coal generates about 8 to 10% ash per ton as compared to wood. Biomass energy is derived from organic matter of animals and plants. Altenergymag (n.p) explains that they are in the form of dead plants, grass, trees, leaves, garbage, crops, animal waste among others.
The type of fuel also reduces the need for fossil fuel such as wood and helps in producing steam, heat, and electricity. When people burn animal and plant waste, the waste and carbon dioxide stored in them is released to the atmosphere, and this makes biomass energy renewable. Deng, et al (1079) explains that eco-forestry is a method of managing forests through stressing on sustainability instead of pure financial returns. The primary focus of eco-forestry is the ecosystem. Various societies engage in harvesting trees through using portable equipment to avoid damage to the forest. The system involves milling trees where it falls and carrying it along narrow bush tracks. There are principles and strict guidelines which direct eco-forestry. The principles help in monitoring the forests and ensure that the quick restoration of forests to their original state. The timber produced in eco-forestry is called eco-timber. It allows communities develop new forest culture by defining their responsibilities.
According to the Living Planet Report 2016 (n.p.), primary emphasis of implementing eco-forestry is the need for education; demonstration through set aside forests and research. Understanding owners and workers are the people performed these duties. As a result, eco-forestry is essential in establishing new relationships between people and the forests through stressing a new understanding which gives the forests the topmost priority and people second. It is the answer to destructive and illegal logging which causes deforestation.
In conclusion, reforestation, saving wood fuel and implementing eco-forestry are among the remedies to deforestation which needs to be highly considered in sustaining the ecosystem. The methods offer practical solutions for preventing deforestation since they both have advantages and disadvantages. Countries should consequently adopt reforestation, saving wood fuel and implementing eco-forestry as ways of balancing global warming and ensuring clean air and eliminating harmful gases which affect the environment. It is essential to take action for deforestation as a way of ensuring a free future. Deforestation creates climate imbalance, increases global warming, and causes floods and soil erosion, and the extinction of important wildlife. Governments and organizations should embark on training and educating families, friends and the community on how these actions impact forests around the world.
Our planet is covered by more than 10 billion acres of forests, which is approximately 30% of its total surface coverage. Now, about 15 million acres of those forests are being cut down per year so there is room for infrastructure and human assimilation.
The Pros of Deforestation
For one, our population is growing and it is expected that our Planet Earth will house around 10 billion people by 2035, around a third more of our current population. These 3 billion humans will naturally require more space for housing, business and many more.
First of all, these people require food and sustenance; there are many unused lush spaces that could instead be potentially turned into more beneficial agricultural sites, such as farms. The food gained from these sites could be used to feed hundreds, or even thousands of starving people, or they could provide those same hundreds or thousands of people with stable jobs, helping economies boon and thus assisting those living in them economically. Secondly, as we unearth more of the forests, we may perhaps discover animals that were previously announced to the world as extinct and propagate them, for more benefits. Thirdly, in addition to this, while our crop technologies have been developing at a rapid pace over the past few years, studies have also shown that the yield produced by these may not be able to keep up with 10 billion humans and our consumption.
The trees cut down by deforestation are used to produce lumber and various other wood products. Every single part of a tree or a plant can be used to produce something such as paper and other daily household items. Toilet paper, which is present in almost all households is usually always a product of deforestation, unless they were made from completely recycled materials.
The Cons of Deforestation
The cons of deforestation, although perhaps more commonly overlooked, easily represent the more dangerous of the scale in how much they could affect our world.
Trees and plants play extremely crucial and vital roles in keeping our planet habitable and comfortable to live on. It is commonly known that a very large majority of plants and vegetation use photosynthesis as their primary source of sustenance. This photosynthesis, along with converting sunlight into energy, also takes in carbon dioxide (a harmful chemicalgas) and releases oxygen, the latter of which us humans require to survive. With how fast we’re destroying our forests that are jam-packed with foliage, the amount of oxygen produced will decrease drastically. It is not a sustainable method and they will be turned into a limited resource if we do not replant these trees; and it is common practice to do so by those who deforest: research into this shows how the area
Along with humans, animals will also be heavily affected by the destruction of forests. The removal of a habitat is often the foundation for the extinction of a series. When forests are cut down, it is not only the trees that are being lost, but also countless amounts of precious wildlife, such as mammals, birds, insects, amphibians and many other animals that make them their home. With nowhere else to go, they will be forced into areas that are not suitable for them. They spent thousands of years adapting to their surroundings, and they won’t be able to survive if they’re thrown into a new, unknown environment. As a matter of fact, there has been a drastic decline in the amount of wildlife that is present in certain areas that have suffered from deforestation more severely than others. In essence, we are removing a piece of ourselves when we no longer allow for animals to exist as they always have.
With all the excess carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases floating around un-recycled in the atmosphere, the effects of global warming have been becoming more and more visible. An example of this would be droughts: present in many countries with hotter climates already. Instead of having forests, which have their own natural watermoisture recycling system stably in place, we opt for agricultural activities, such as raising livestock and plants. These require much higher levels of water and moisture; a large majority of which is not recycled as with the forests are.
Many great medicines we have today had their foundations based off of those discovered in the forests, which only a small fraction of have been explored and documented by non-tribal humans.
A little known fact is that trees contribute greatly to flood prevention. They play a vital role by absorbing excess ground water and then dispersing it throughout the air through evaporation.
