The Amazon is Slowly Disappearing February 25, 2008
Posted by kkrall in Uncategorized.trackback
When you look at a globe or a map of South America the region encompassed by the Amazon Rainforest is difficult to miss. What is not realized is that the region shown on maps is shrinking at an alarming rate. “The solid block of green [on the map] is being destroyed at a rate of 
5,000 football fields a day, as conservative figures estimate[d]” in 1999. Today, the Amazon continues to diminish as a growing and developing population continues “to cut down the country’s forests to make way for agriculture. The State of Rio de Janeiro used to be 97 percent covered in natural forest.” At the end of the past decade “less than 20 percent remain[ed].” There has been a vast amount of “pressure put on Brazil by environmentalists and politicians in the developed world to curb these trends”. However, with a lack of incentives from the Brazilian government, deforestation continues. As the Amazon continues to disappear due to the desire for more agricultural land to meet demands of international companies, the world is slowly being affected. Some catastrophic forecasts made by researchers include “enormous decreases in air quality and resulting increases in lung diseases and cancer; the melting of polar ice caps and the submergence of many of the Earth’s inhabited coastlands.” (Brazil) One crop that is harvested on agricultural land that used to be the Amazon Rainforest is the soya bean. These beans are used by many international corporations to feed herds of animals that are used for beef production. Taking a stance against Amazon deforestation is McDonald’s. “McDonald’s has agreed to stop Amazon deforestation for soya farming.” (No More) However, there are still multiple companies that continue to destroy the Amazon by harvesting soya beans. “Greenpeace released Eating up the Amazon, a report that pinpoints McDonald’s, as well as Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), as two of the biggest culprits in rain forest destruction (KFC continues to refuse to discuss their role in Amazon destruction, says Greenpeace).” (No More) People need to take a stance against international companies, such as KFC, who refuse to admit their role in the destruction of the Amazon Rainforest; a rainforest that must strive and survive in order for the world to do the same.
I was wondering if you’ve heard of any programs to replant any of the rainforest or are they just using the land for cattle and crops and then moving on when the land is used up? Good writing.
I haven’t been able to find a lot of recent information on replanting the Amazon. However, I have found information from a few years ago about plans to do so. In 2004 Brazil had plans to be replanting the same quantity of forest as it destroys by the year 2007. At that time millions of dollars were allocated to help combat deforestation. The government was supposed to have help provided by private enterprises and multiple programs that had been established to prevent deforestation. Also, in 2006 Brazil proposed a new way of providing incentives to prevent the deforestation of native forests which included an international loan fund. Finally, up until a decade ago, private landowners were allowed to deforest 50% of their land. Legislation recently amended the figure to 20% but many ranchers have not replanted at all and I have not found any information on programs that have been established to enforce the new legislation. If I find any more information I will be sure to let you know.