-Written in 02/12/2008 for my COMP 201 Class-
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The term Deforestation is another word for cutting down massive trees in forests to clear land. In the new millennium, it is now one of the most overlooked issues in the United States. My estimate states that over 6,000 acres of land are developed every day (J. Mitchell, SUNY Potsdam), but it costs millions of dollars to re-grow parts of it. Since the late 20th century through its present day, a variety of environmental organizations such as Greenpeace USA (www.greenpeace.org) and Focus the Nation (www.focusthenation.org) have been fighting for a long time to preserve forests through conservation along with the process of sustainability. So far, there is a mixture of wins and losses in this situation. I believe that deforestation is a shared problem across the country. Also, I believe that this issue should grab just about everyone’s attention - meaning the people who are willing to listen. For me, I can think of a few reasons why people should care and be concerned: pollution on land and in the air, wildlife endangerment, and the "legendary" status of any particular forest area across the country.
Four things are part of the economic dimensions in deforestation: excessive logging, harvesting for fuel, raising cattle, and the Slash and Burn agriculture are very popular in timber companies. They give a variety of construction workers extra jobs, money, and hours. Logging is the number one threat to the old growth forests across the northwestern United States, for example - which is familiar to this next cause. The Slash N' Burn agriculture is also a threat to forests as well, most likely tropical rainforests. After a set of acres of land is cleared by this cause, with very low population density, the land is used for 2 to 3 years and then left alone for up to 10 years to replenish its nutrients (Don Bragow, "What is Deforestation"). To me, that is wasting a lot of land for something that is not worth using. Why waste that much land if you are only going to use a small set of acres for something that you really want?
Air Pollution has a connection with deforestation through the issue with Greenhouse-Gas Emissions. Research shows that up to 30% of global greenhouse-gas emissions each year were caused by the loss of forests (Toni Johnson, "Deforestation & Greenhouse Gas Emissions") around the world such as parts of the Amazon in Brazil. GHG emissions results to Global Warming, Acid Rain, which damages the plants in forests. Bad weather such as flooding results from the role of evaporation, condensation, and precipitation, due to the smoke from the ground up and into the air. In November of 1997, thousands of fires were set in Southeast Asia due to the Slash and Burn agriculture. The air pollution in Malaysia raised up to 6 times the level considered unhealthy (Johnson).
In wildlife endangerment, deforestation plays a large role along with scaring away almost the entire number of any species. Environmental Activists are angry and worried that animals would not exist if deforestation takes over. This is probably why individuals and teams now own animal sanctuaries these days. For animal lovers and veterinarians, they have to manage the surviving animals whose environments have been damaged. It costs millions of dollars in funding for animal sanctuaries across the U.S. This country has a history of wiping out species into smaller numbers up to a point where they become "rare". When deforestation occurs, animals have two choices to make: migrate to another place or meet their fate. In some cases, they're taken to animal zoos or sanctuaries. All of this takes time, money, effort, and a lot of pressure for a place to hold wildlife animals. Yet, there is not enough homes for these wild animals. Some will become very ill and some will meet their fate (i.e. - euthanized or shot) in zoos rather than in burning forests.
If a wildlife forest has a legendary status of attracting visitors across the nation and different parts of the world, this should tell its frequent visitors something - it needs to be saved for future generations to enjoy this beautiful scenery. People come here for camping and a variety of recreational activities that they bring into the area. This is the number one concern for people who are willing to talk about it. Personal experiences and the history of a forest should give us the background for decisions on what to do in a time like this. This reason ties in with economic, social, cultural, and political dimensions in deforestation. You have one group who want to destroy the forest for houses, buildings, and businesses while the opposing group is fighting against these ideas to protect the forest from any damage. Devotion and dedication in saving the forest takes a lot out of an individual or group, but it's worth the risk and effort.
What I have found puzzling is that it took more than three decades for recycled products to become the biggest thing in the market. In the 1990's, recycled products were in tons of 99-cent stores, but not as much as in today's times. I remember when schools from grades K to 8, in New York City and across America, were participating in events where “Earth Day” is present on a school day. During class time and/or lunch time, the students and members of the faculty would actually clean up the parks located in front of their schools. For example, the same thing has happened to me back in 1994. The students and I would clean up the park in front of our grade school named P.S. 17.
In the late 1990s, I would catch the “Big Help-A-Thon” on Nickelodeon to watch music events and people doing things for strong causes such as preserving forests and helping homeless people. Also, families would call in to pledge in order to help for strong causes. Every year, I would catch this program since 1996. The last time I watched it was in 2001 – the year I entered my first year in high school. Nowadays, in the 2000’s, when it comes to promoting awareness and addressing any issue (i.e. environment, crime) to the public, the internet is the number one source for anyone to access. Television and Radio are mostly focusing on politics and the popularity in the Arts & Entertainment industry.
Solutions for these three problems are very easy to follow, but it takes a while to get used to them and maintaining them for a number of months in your house, building or your work site. Buy recycled products such as composition books and packs of loose-leaf paper to support sustainability - using things for a limited amount of time and saving things for later use. If you're having breathing problems due to air pollution, get a prescription for your allergy medicine and/or an inhaler if it gets any worse. For wildlife endangerment issues and your favorite forest's legendary status - if you're concerned about this, join a club or an organization to send the word out. Also, you can volunteer or get a part-time or full-time job at a zoo, an animal shelter, or an animal sanctuary. I guarantee that this will look very impressive for your resume. Finally, the next solution is to make a petition on paper or online to fight against deforestation in upcoming rallies, protests, or meetings.
Personally, I have issues with deforestation. It is one of the most overlooked issues in the United States. There is something you can do about it, but it takes a few things: risk, effort, teamwork, and tons of pressure to do something for a cause.
Bibliography:
· Bragaw, Don. "Issues in Global Education: What Is Deforestation?" http://www.globaled.org/issues/152/a.html
· Johnson, Toni. "Deforestation and Greenhouse-Gas Emissions". Council of Foreign Relations. 7 Jan. 2008. http://www.cfr.org/publication/14919/
· Socha, Tom. "Air Pollution Causes and Effects". http://healthandenergy.com/air_pollution_causes.htm
· “Kids Speak Out for Kid Volunteerism as Nickelodeon’s Big Help-a-Thon 5 Registered Millions of Calls from Kids Across the Country”. Business Wire; October 19, 1998
Websites:
Focus the Nation: www.focusthenation.org
Greenpeace USA: www.greenpeace.org