“The rainforest is irreplaceable if the rainforest is destroyed then there would be a one hundred percent chance that the rainforest would not re-vitalise and grow back to its original state”
Other policy’s they have mentioned about why rainforests should be preserved are:
- It is a major environmental issue
- Effects the eco-system
- Global Warming
- Raw materials destroyed
- Millions of habitats destroyed
- Loss of wildlife – birds, insects, reptiles
- Loss of medicine
- Forest holds half of our modern medicine
- Decrease in soil fertility
- Increase in soil erosion
- Hardwoods becoming endangered
Theoretically if the forest is burnt down or cut down there will be more carbon dioxide in the air and no intake to change the carbon dioxide into oxygen for humans to breathe. This result of having more carbon dioxide in the air would result to global warming. Global warming is the warming up of the earth’s surface and the direct effect would be that the solar ice caps would melt causing the water levels to rise. There is a seventy percent chance that the Solomon Islands would be flooded. Whole islands would be underneath the ocean. The environmentalists are most concerned with this as this might lead to natural disaster on an extremely large scale. Millions of people would be wiped out if they do not leave the Solomon Islands. For the people leaving the islands would be an unreal option because this is where generations of their family have lived here and poll suggests that only two percent of the people would leave the Solomon Islands.
The problem the Earth watch group are faced with is that the people want to improve and develop their country dramatically. The only way the people can improve their country is by cutting down trees and giving their lands to logging companies so the people can benefit from the money that might be given from the logging companies. The more economically developed country’s benefit but the less economically developed countries lose out; this is the situation in the Solomon Islands. The logging companies also have promised the people offers that the Earth watch group cannot match. The people have been offered, for their land new paved roads, hospitals, schools, bridges linking their islands together e.t.c. This is not what Earth watch wants to hear from the people as the logging companies are going to cut down the forest. These logging companies are controlled by the government and allowed on the lands by the government.
The government would argue that the only way the country could develop is to give the forest to the logging companies. This is the only way the government can improve and develop their country.
Now I am going to summarise the Solomon Islands government views of the rainforest. The Solomon Island says that the only reliable source of money they can depend on is from selling trees to the logging companies. They have been very brave and made impressive business deals with the logging companies. They say they can use the money to pay off the countries debts to avoid getting the country into any worse state. The government then is promising the people to improve transportation. Transportation is very poor at the moment they will ensure more and better roads, harbours, boats and even ideas of building suspension bridges linking the main islands of the country together. There communications is also very poor they will do everything in their power to make sure better telephone lines which can link families not throughout the country but throughout the world. They will also organise other sporting events to bring the whole country together. The government wants to improve life expectancy therefore they will build hospitals and clinics to improve the infant mortality rate so the children and adults can live long, healthier lives. The government will also provide amenities such as clean water and electricity. A vast amount of the Solomon Island population is young so the government are thinking if building schools to improve the life of many children. After doing this the country’s technology will increase and be improves so the government can put in a police force and an emergency services such as ambulances due to communications and transportations upgrades. The government can then concentrate on their exports. They will use the money left over from the logging to build the country’s own independent industries which shall produce manufacturing goods. These are the main points that the Solomon Island government will focus on.
The flaw in the government argument is that the government is very weak and is changes on a regular basis. This means there is no assurance that this will happen at all. The logging companies are as corrupt as the government. The logging companies should not be trusted as they haven’t delivered any promises they have made in the past and why should the now? This is what Earth watch and the people of the Solomon Islands should be asking about.
Now I am going to express my own opinion on this matter. There are a number of ways that the government and the environmentalist could come to a compromise, so that the Solomon Islands could be developed without any real destruction to the rainforest. These are some of the ways they could do this:
- Sustainable Forestry
- Sustainable Agriculture
- Eco-Tourism
- Manufacturing
These are the main points which the two sides could come to a compromise. Sustainable forestry is the management of the forest, the cutting down and replanting of the trees. Sustainable means to use something in a way that doesn’t damage it beyond repair. I think a national park should be set up to prevent deforestation. Some local people could work in eco-tourism. This is where small groups of tourists are shown around the forests to learn how fantastic it is. But eco-tourism has to be small scale. If it were too big, it could cause permanent damage. So eco-tourism only might earn the Solomon Islands a small income but the tourists usually stay in lodgings which could be set up to provide jobs and more income. Farms should be set up in the rainforest. These work in harmony with the eco-system, so they are sustainable. For example trees provide shade for the crops and protection for the soil. Crops grown such as bananas and coco beans could be sold. Farmers also could grow subsistence crops which could feed his family with. Many farmers in other countries have got a good quality of life, with modern facilities, large homes and a fantastic environment to live in. Another way they could make money to develop is to cut down trees which are dead or fallen down. So no new trees are cut down. People cut the trees in the rainforest and use a buffalo to pull the logs out of the forest to prevent machinery causing any soil erosion. The people then make money from selling the timber. They get more money out of selling the timber directly than selling the trees to logging companies. They should also plant two trees for every hectare of land the cut a tree down in. Local people can make more money if they produce something out of the logs which are worth £2.00. If they the logs into planks they would make £100’s of pounds. Out of the same wood if they made some furniture they could make this time £1000’s of pounds. So by manufacturing the local people and the government are able to earn more which can improve the quality of life. This is the only way in my opinion the country could develop whilst protecting the environment.
