Deforestation of the Amazon

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Recommended: Causes effects and solutions to deforestation in Amazon

The specific environmental issue/problem I will be talking about is the Deforestation in the Amazon. This has caused a severe environmental problem and a subsequent decline in well-being. The Amazon rainforest is known to be one of the Earth's largest rainforest and also one of the greatest natural resources. Many people call the Amazon the “Lungs of our planet” due to the vegetation. Since there is so much vegetation in the rainforest it will continuously take the carbon dioxide and turns it into oxygen. After researching about the deforestation of the Amazon I came across some statistics and information that really shocked me. Rhett Butler stated that “60-70 percent of deforestation in the Amazon results from cattle ranches while the rest mostly results from small-scale subsistence agriculture. Despite the widespread press attention, large-scale farming (i.e. soybeans) currently contributes relatively little to total deforestation in the Amazon. Most soybean cultivation takes place outside the rainforest in the neighboring cerrado grassland ecosystem and in areas that have already been cleared. Logging results in forest degradation but rarely direct deforestation. However, studies have showed a close correlation between logging and future clearing for settlement and farming.” After reading this I was shocked, but there also is some good news I came across. The problem I am writing about is occurring in the Amazon Rainforest which is not only located in Brazil but also Columbia, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, and the three Guyanas. The problem with deforestation is that it is affecting our economic health. As stated before by Rhett Butler deforestation in the Amazon is mostly due to cattle farms. The other major contributor i...

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