AmazonDeforestation 2.) a.)IhavechosentopicsevenThreatenedHabitats.Ihavechosentofocusonthedeforestationof rainforests.Deforestationisthepracticeofclearingforestedlandfornonforesteduse.Deforestationis aworldwideproblemitimpactseveryonewhetherornottheyknowit.Everyyearhundredsof hectares(2.471acres)ofrainforestaredestroyed.Deforestationhasimpactsonthreemainlevels, Local,regionalandglobal. Local:Therearemanytribesinrainforestsandtheirhomesarebeingdestroyed. Regional:Itdestroysnaturalhabitatskillingplantsandanimals.Itcausespoolsofstagnantwater allowingmosquitoestobreed,causinghigherratesofmalaria. Global:Massiverainforestshelpkeepbalanceintheair.Thetreestakeinalotofcarbondioxideand releaselotsofoxygen. b.) HumanEnvironment i.

.Tribesoftherainforests Thesepeoplearelosingtheirhomesandculture.Deforestationisdestroyingwildlife,reducingthe abilitytohunt.Thesetribesareforcedtointegratewithasocietythattheyoftendontunderstand. ii.Peopleexploitingrainforests Thesepeoplearethecauseofdeforestationwhetheritisformining,loggingorbuildinga hydroelectricdam,thesecausesneedtheforestremovedtowork.Thehydroelectricdamfloodsthe nearbyforest.Asthetreesandminesareusedup,peoplemovefurtherintotheforestdestroying moreandmoretrees. Biophysical/NaturalEnvironment i.Affectsonwildlife Itisestimatedthattwothirdsoftheworldswildlifeliveintherainforestthemostcommontypes areinsects.Manyoftheseinsectshaveyettobediscovered.Thedestructionoftheserainforests willendwiththeextinctionofthesecreatures.Everydayitisestimatedthat127speciesofanimal andplantgoextinct.[7] ii.Affectsonflora ManyoftheplantsinRainforestsareonlyfoundthere,deforestationthreatensmanyrareplants. Whenthetreesdie,allofthecarbondioxidestoredoverthetreeslifetimeisreleasedintothe atmosphere.Thiscausesonefifthofthegreenhousegaseseachyear,whichcreateclimatechange. Manyofthesetreesareoveronehundredyearsold. iii.WaterPollution ManyofthechemicalsusedintheminesaredumpedintotheAmazonRiveraftertheyareused. Thiskillsmanyanimalsandplantsinthewater.

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3.) b)PerspectivesontheDeforestationoftheAmazonRainforest. i)Greenpeace Greenpeacedisagreeswithalldeforestation,legalornot.Greenpeaceworksfortheenvironment, includingfightingpollutionandglobalwarming,andprotectsplantsandanimalsonthebrinkof extinction.Theyhaveabiasedopinionbecauseitonlycaresfortheenvironment,notsomuchfor productpricesortheprofitsofthecompaniestheytarget. ii)Indigenoustribes Theyarelosingtheirhomesandlandasaresultofdeforestation.Theiropinionisbiasedbecausewhat theyownisbeingdestroyed.Andtheydontcareforthecompaniesbehindit. iii)Licensedtimbercompanies Licensedtimbercompaniesareagainstillegalloggingbecausetheillegalloggersundercutprices,thus sellingproductscheaperandgainingcustomers.Theiropinionisbiasedbytheseeconomicinterests. iv)Soytraders Theyareexportingsoytomanycountriesandareconstantlyexpandingtheirfieldsandgrowingmore crops.ThemoratoriumsetupbyGreenpeace(see4bbelow)makesithardertogetfieldsforsoycrops andthereforepricesaregoingup.Itisabiasedopinionbecausetheyareworkingformoremoney. v)Soyconsumers McDonaldsisoneofthebigsoyconsumers.ItusessoytofeeditschickensfortheMcnuggets. BecauseofthemoratoriumsetupbyGreenpeacesoypricesarerising.Allowingsoytobegrownon newlydeforestedlandwouldallowthepricetodropcomparedtoselfsustainedcrops.Theyhavea biasedopinionbecausetheywanttomakemoremoney.

AmazonDeforestation 4.) a.)GovernmentalAffect DeforestationisahugeproblemintheAmazonRainforest.TheBraziliangovernmenthasdonemany thingscreatingitandmanythingsdiscouragingit. Oneoflargestcausesofdeforestationistheconstructionofroads.OneofthebiggestwasBrazils TransAmazonianHighway.ItwasOneofthemostambitiouseconomicdevelopmentprogramsever devised,andoneofthemostspectacularfailures[1].Brazilplanneda2000kilometerroadthatwould cutthroughtheAmazonRainforest.Itwouldallowsomepoorfarmerstomovefromthecrowded, droughtplaguednorth[1]anditwouldalsoallowfordevelopmentoftimberandmineralresources.All ofthepeoplegaininglandinthisareawouldbegranted250acres,sixmonthssalaryandaccessto agriculturalgrants.ThesoilintheAmazonisntveryrichandwasquicklyexhausted,forcingnewareas tobeclearedannually.[1] Recentlythegovernmenthasbeentryingtostopdeforestationbycreatingstrictlicensingrulesfor loggingintheAmazon.Theyonlyallowtimbertobeharvestedindesignatedareas.Butitisobviousthat illegalloggingisstilldisturbinglycommon.SatelliteimageshaveshownthousandsoffiresinBrazilasa resultoftheslashandburntechnique,byillegalloggers. b.)Greenpeace Greenpeaceisoneofthemostwellknownnongovernmentalorganizationsaroundtheworld.Recently ithasbeenworkinghardtostopdeforestation.Ithasrecentlyhadasuccessonslowingdeforestation, throughstoppingsoycompaniesfromexportingsoyfromnewlydeforestedareas.Thissoymoratorium wasstartedthroughputtingpressureonMcDonalds.Greenpeaceactivistsdressedupaschickens, harassedstoresandhandedoutflyersdenouncingMcDonaldsforitsuseofsoyfromtheAmazon. McDonaldsquicklyrespondedtothepressureandjoinedGreenpeaceinitsfightforless deforestation.[4,6]Manyotherfoodcompaniesjoined,puttingpressureonBrazilandsoyexporting companies,suchasADM,Bunge,CargillandDreyfus.TheBrazilianAssociationofVegetableOil Industries(ABIOVE)andthesoyexportingcompaniesagreedtosignatwoyearmoratoriumin2006. TheyrecentlydecidedtoextendthismoratoriumtillJuly2009[4]

6.)Bibliography [1]http://rainforests.mongabay.com/amazon/amazon_destruction.html [2]http://www.mongabay.com/brazil.html [3]http://www.greenpeace.org/international/news/greenpeaceactivistsinbrazil [4]http://www.greenpeace.org/international/press/releases/extensionamazonsoyamoratorium [5]http://ran.org/what_we_do/rainforest_agribusiness/about_the_campaign/ [6]http://www.greenpeace.org/international/news/McVictory200706

AmazonDeforestation [7]Geoactive1bySusanBlissandJohnPaine