People travel to forests everywhere to enjoy their special aesthetic, symbolic, and recreational qualities. Simply put, many believe that rainforests should be saved because they make the world a more colourful, beautiful, and meaningful place (John). Recognizing the social interests and morals of the public should be a high priority because restabilizing the forests would greatly contribute to the security of forest-dwellers and lives of communities around the world.
Tropical rainforests once covered over 14.5 million square kilometers of the earth (Nyborg). Worldwide each year, fifty million acres are lost and today less than 7.5 million remain (Chasmer 339). The Earth’s tropical rainforests contain the greatest diversity of plants and animals on land and are certainly the planet’s most important terrestrial ecosystem (Salim 2). Even though many forests are being replanted to grow back over time, these will never contain the same diversity of species that they once held. Literally millions of flora and fauna are at risk of extinction at the hands of unsustainable agriculture, logging, chemical poisoning and degraded watersheds (RCF). Eons of evolution could be totally destroyed in mere decades. The effects would be widely disastrous and irreversible, raising the question “how will the ecosystem respond on a global basis” (Maser 121) to the loss of the rainforests. What people do understand is that high latitude forests regenerate very slowly. Recovery takes a century or more, and the extent of this recovery cannot be guaranteed.
The loss of the rainforest would also have a direct impact on mankind. Rainforests are “the lungs of the planet” because they absorb carbon dioxide, produce 20% of the world’s oxygen, and purify the air (Rainforest). Forests are carbon sinks, and when trees are cut down more of this carbon is free to enter the atmosphere (Chasmer 287). When there is more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the greenhouse effect is stronger, and the overall global temperature increases. This eventually causes ice caps to melt and water to expand which leads to disastrous flooding across the globe (Kristula). These floods destroy topsoil, and kill hundreds of people every year. The deforestation of rainforests will make our earth more susceptible to forest fires, water shortages, fragmentation, increased hunting, land conversion, and unregulated access to the forests. Preserving forests will significantly aid in the restabilization of climate, precipitation, water supplies and quality of streams, lakes, and coastal water. It is up to the people of today to save what is left and to educate future generations.
For many developing countries, the tropical rainforest is the means of improving their economies. The pharmaceuticals industry alone is “worth tens of billions of dollars annually” (Chasmer 288), and 80% of the developed world’s diet is provided by the rainforest (Rainforest). The leading causes of deforestation in the developing regions are the result of converting forested land to other uses. Despite the many studies confirming that rainforests are worth more intact than logged or burned for cash crops or cattle pastures (Chasmer 339), developing countries continue to grow estate crops, extend subsistence farming and fund government backed conversion of forests to alternate land uses (Salim 7).
Large populations put more pressure on economy and environment. Inhabitants of such densely populated countries are often pushed into “heavily forested interiors from coastal and interior plains” (Chasmer 288). Regions such as Brazil, Filipinos, and Indonesia rely on the development of tropical rainforest resources for work and to survive.
Another factor in the destruction of the rainforests is the fact that third world nations have collective debt of over $1,300 billion USD. The interest charges are too high for developing nations to repay them in full; therefore, to refund the loans, these nations are exploiting their rainforest resources at a rapid rate (Revington). They must find alternate methods to pay off their loans and stimulate their economy so that they can take charge of their rainforests.
Many farmers clear rainforest land to grow their crops. They usually have to move each year because the soil is so poor in nutrients. This practice is not only inconvenient, it contributes to the destruction of the very forest that could provide a more sustainable income (Kristula). Farmers frequently have to deal with insect infested and diseased crops. The plants of the rainforest conversely, have strong resistance to disease and they can defend themselves with natural insecticides. They do not have the same toxic repercussions when consumed by humans and animals that synthetic pesticides do. Important crops could be saved and improved through the study of natural insecticides and protective compounds of rainforest plants. Tremendous amount of money could be saved with healthier crop yields and less pesticide use.
Many families in indigenous and rural communities depend on rainforests as a source of income. They gather wild fruit, nuts, fodder, medicines, and other materials. Essential oils, rattans, and latex are several of the many sustainable industrial uses of the rainforests. Essential oils can be found in western society’s everyday products such as shampoos, perfumes, shaving cream, and other cosmetic items. Rattan, another rainforest product, is one of nature’s strongest materials and is widely used in the making of furniture. Latexes such as chicle gum and rubber originated in the rainforest, and are far superior to their synthetic counterparts (Daniel). In contrast to the immediate gains of timber cutting, a standing rainforest can provide more economic wealth over time.
In developing countries, many still rely on traditional fuels as their principal source of energy for cooking and heating. It is estimated that in thirty years “plants will already have taken over production of gasoline and other fuels” (Daniel). Fossil fuels continue to be third world countries largest import yet many sources of fuel can be found amongst them. The sap of some tree species can be directly tapped and used as diesel fluid because their chemical composition is so similar. By destroying rainforests, we are destroying future energy prospects (Daniel).
Another rainforest commodity to take into consideration is wood. Producing tropical hardwoods in plantations would enable loggers to refrain from taking from the natural primary forests. Bamboo, for example is the fastest-growing plant in the world. Because of its incredible sprouting speed and tolerance of poor soils, bamboo has the potential of to fill the world’s future wood pulp needs (Newman 226).
As discussed above, rainforests are highly valued for their aesthetic qualities. Ecotourism is an industry that reaps in approximately $300 billion USD a year. According to Guatemala’s Minister of Culture, tourism protects the rainforest by keeping away “poachers, illegal wood harvesters and burners, and drug runners with secret air strips in the north jungle” (Kristula). With diminishing forest area, the tourism industry is also suffering.
Because of environmental, social, and economic repercussions, it is clear that destroying the rainforest at the present rate is not effective. Changing attitudes will not be an easy task. If the world’s population continues to grow, the demand for forest products such as shelter, food, water, energy, wood, and paper will also increase. Public interest must be considered over private interests and community should be involved in all decision-making. The value of today’s rainforests can only be preserved for future generations through education. Society must significantly decrease consumption and wasteful production patterns to support renewable rainforest products, and merge conservation and business in a positive way. Motivation must come from “something more powerful than money, but more rare: Love” (John).
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