Arguments For Control Of Rainforests

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Rainforests harbor seventy percent of all plant species that help treat cancer. They also contain one-fourth of cancer-curing ingredients found in drugs (Lee and David). Some plants have yet to be discovered; however, they may be lost before ever being found due to the clearing of forests, which is known as deforestation. The world loses forested areas the size of Pennsylvania each year due to current logging methods. There are three main stakeholders fighting for control of rainforests: governments, indigenous groups, and the scientific community (Driscoll and Simone). Governments want the forest for business purposes. They permit loggers to run their businesses as they see fit, leading to eighty percent of all logging in Brazil being unregulated …show more content…

They believe it is necessary to clear space for farming or logging. Supporters of regulated deforestation say that “rainforests are destroyed by nature: flooding, hurricanes, and so on; therefore, the trees should be used before they are wasted” (“The Deforestation Debate”). However, the trees are being used faster than the average rate of nature's destruction (“The Deforestation Debate”). Others argue that it “helps sustain rural communities” (Issitt). Trees are cut for fuel, timber, and farmland. Eighty percent of land cleared is used for subsistence farming and commercial agriculture (“16 Deforestation Facts….”). The companies replant the trees they have cut; nonetheless, it would be better to not cut the trees at all. Their newly planted trees are open to attack by insects and disease because they are not native species. The trees do not last long, and when they die they may not be replaced. Not everyone believes that deforestation does more harm than good, but sixty percent of students at Ontario High School believe regulated businesses should not be allowed to clear rainforests. A few of the opposing students said they would need to research the information first because the topic is not widely discussed (Students at OHS). More research in the area of forest management is …show more content…

Deforestation leads to the reduction of the atmosphere’s quality by interrupting the natural flow of atmospheric gases. Not only do trees collect carbon dioxide, but they also create oxygen. Cut trees release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and no longer produce oxygen, thereby increasing greenhouse gasses. In addition, the soil shifts after the clearing of a forest. The effect of the loosened soil can lead to mudslides that can bury whole villages. The devastation of a village in the Philippines was blamed on the clearing of the forests above it. The soil had become loose enough that rain caused a mass of mud to move onto the now buried village (McLeish 5-6). This was not an isolated incident. Mudslides have also occurred in Southeast Asia, mainly the islands of Indonesia. Without the rainforests to regulate the water cycle, floods, erosion, and a warmer Earth occur. Trees use a process called surface albedo- when trees absorb more heat than bare soil (McLeish 24). The Earth warms when trees do not contain the excess heat, negatively affecting the atmosphere. The climate change effects decrease when clearing of rainforests decrease. Government and locals can help prevent these disastrous

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