Rodriguez 1

Christian Rodriguez
Prof. Massey/Enc1101
7-9-2014
eforestation
!here is one thing that is the highest ris" to the hu#an race$ it is deforestation. !his is a
%ro&'e# that affects not (ust us &ut e)erything on this %'anet and so#e acti)ist &e'ie)e not
enough is &eing done to sto% the %ro&'e#. eforestation is co##on'y defined as* +the cutting
do,n of trees on a 'arge sca'e turning forests into non forests-. !here are #any reasons for
deforestation &ut the #ost co##on are far#ing$ and its use as a source of fue' in ur&an areas.
!he ter# deforestation is often #isused to descri&e any acti)ity that in)o')es the cutting do,n of
trees. ho,e)er in te#%erate c'i#ate the re#o)a' of a'' trees in the area is du&&ed as or #ore
correct'y descri&ed as regeneration har)est$ this a''o,s for a ne, generation of trees to gro,.
!he gro,ths of the hu#an %o%u'ation and its de#and for ,ood ha)e caused se)ere
da#age to the forests around the ,or'd. !his negati)e'y i#%acts the en)iron#ents ,hich 'ed to
the e/tinction of #any s%ecies and di#inish of natura' resources that hu#an &eings de%end u%on.
0t is urgent to sto% deforestation and #any so'utions ha)e &een %ro%osed &y scientists and socio-
econo#ists$ this essay is going to discuss a fe, ideas on deforestation
!he reason that 'ogging is so &ad for the c'i#ate is that ,hen trees are cut do,n they
re'ease the car&on they are storing into the at#os%here. !he car&on #i/ing in the at#os%here is
,hat cause g'o&a' ,ar#ing. Many &e'ie)e that cars are the #ain attri&uter to g'o&a' ,ar#ing$
&ut in rea'ity it is deforestation. 1s re%orted &y the 2or'd Carfree 3et,or" 42C35 cars
contri&ute fourteen %ercent of tota' car&on e#issions ,hi'e #ost anna'ists6 data sho,s that
deforestation contri&utes around 17 or #ore. 1'so to ta"e into consideration is that the trees that
Rodriguez 2
are cho%%ed do,n not on'y re'ease car&on &ut are no 'onger re#o)ing car&on fro# the
at#os%here. !he en)iron#enta' defense fund a'so states that +1ny rea'istic %'an to reduce g'o&a'
,ar#ing %o''ution sufficient'y8and in ti#e8to a)oid dangerous conse9uences #ust re'y in %art
on %reser)ing tro%ica' forests$- and ,hen the econo#y su%%orts destructi)e action on the
en)iron#ent it is )ery difficu't to sto% the threat.
!here are certain things you cannot o)er 'oo" ,hen
you ta'" a&out deforestation$ the #ain su&(ect &eing the ani#a's you "i'' ,hen there ho#es are
destroyed. :tudies in ;ietna# and !hai'and done though sate''ite i#aging &y the 22< ha)e
sho,n that fro# 197= to 2009 they each 'ost 4= %ercent of their forest co)er. 0n the Me"ong
region a'#ost one-third of its forest co)er ;anished. !his is considered &y #any to &e a huge
&'o, to the di)ersity on earth &ecause in the %ast 17 years an a)erage of t,o ne, s%ecies %er
,ee" has &een disco)ered &y scientists. !he 22< a'so re%orted that the nu#&ers tigers and
1sian e'e%hants in ;ietna# ha)e dec'ined e/tre#e'y and in 2011$ the >a)an rhinoceros ,as
confir#ed as e/tinct in ;ietna#.
1nother factor that adds to deforestation that #any countries ta"e a huge %art in is
agricu'tura' deforestation. Peo%'e #ost'y deforest area so that they can %'ant cro%s or so they can
raise 'i)e stoc". ?ut ;ietna#6s furniture industry has caused an increase of deforestation due to
the fact that #any of their 'and has &een cut do,n for the furniture e/%ort #ar"et and the
Rodriguez =
)egetation re%'aced &y coffee trees. !his has ha%%ened so 9uic"'y that they ha)e gone fro# zero
to nu#&er t,o in g'o&a' coffee %roduction. 1nother cause of deforestation is si#%'e. the ,or'd
(ust has too #any %eo%'e on it. 2e are run out of s%ace to 'i)e so the on'y thing ,e can do tear
do,n forest and &ui'd houses on the#$ there sti'' are #any o&(ectors trying to sto% us fro# using
a'' the 'and.
!he #ost de)astating %art of deforestation for the ,ho'e %'ant is the car&on e#issions
that co#e fro# the trees &e cut. !his is a &ig reason ,hy #any acti)ists are trying to sto% this
unnecessary destruction of the earth and they say that there are three ste%s to reduce the forest
&ased e#issions. <irst you #ust @&taining usefu' #easure#ents of changes in the a#ount of
car&on stored in forests$ this is needed and #ost de)e'o%ing countries ,i'' need to i#%ro)e their
technica' ca%a&i'ities. !his techno'ogy is re9uired in order to successfu''y a%%'y any %rogra#
intended at reducing car&on e#issions fro# deforestation. :econd'y there shou'd &e a structured
incenti)e %rogra# ai#ed to,ard reducing the tota' forest-&ased e#ission. !his ste% is a'so
cha''enging &e cause for any incenti)e %rogra#s it ,i'' #ost 'i"e'y &e necessary to co#%ensate
ne, #e#&ers and ,hi'e sti'' co#%ensating the efforts of continued forest %reser)ation. 0t is
%ossi&'e if not co#%ensated sufficient'y they cou'd continue to raise e#ission.
Most i#%ortant'y the third ste% is to i#%ro)e the esta&'ished go)ern#ent in de)e'o%ing
countries. !his ste% is essentia' for the %rogra#s to &e 'ong 'asting and &e effecti)e in reducing
car&on e#ission. !he #ain %ro&'e# is ,hen a country has a ,ea" go)ern#ent$ corru%tion and
%o'itica' insta&i'ity can under#ine the 'a,s that are %ro#oting the %reser)ation of there
,ood'and. Many ca#%aigners &e'ie)e that ,ithout go)ern#ent assistance there is no chance to
sto% the re#o)a' of the forest. !he #ost %ractica' ,ay to he'% de)e'o%ing countries is &y
%ro)iding financia' and technica' assistance if they are interested in reducing car&on1 e#issions.
Rodriguez 4
2ith the financia' su%%ort countries shou'd o&tain ad)ances in #easuring and #onitoring
changes in forest car&on$ it a'so ensures that de)e'o%ing countries ha)e access to the
techno'ogies needed to i#%ro)e the en)iron#ent. 0f they recei)e a 'ot of su%%ort they #ay &e
a&'e to %ro)ide the incenti)es for those reducing the g'o&a' e#issions.
0t has &eco#e c'ear that reducing tro%ica' deforestation has an i#%ortant ro'e in the
o)era'' reduction of greenhouse gas e#issions. !here is no, ,ides%read consensus that
deforestation can and #ust &e co#&ated. 2ithin ?razi'$ the federa' go)ern#ent has a%%ro)ed an
action %'an for the %re)ention and contro' of deforestation in the 1#azon region and$ fro# 2004
to 2007$ the annua' deforestation rate in the ?razi'ian 1#azon fe'' fro# a 10-year high of #ore
than 27$000 "#2to a 20-year 'o, of A10$000 "#2.
:o#e countries ha)e a'ready started to enact %rogra#s to co#%ensate citizens ,ho ha)e
#ade efforts in reducing the forest e#issions in the area. RE 4Reducing E#issions fro#
eforestation and <orest egradation5 is one of these %rogra#s that contri&ute in he'%ing 'o,er
the green house gases. s%ecifica''y car&on ,hich is the #ain e'e#ent that is rea'ized ,hen trees
are destroyed. !his %rogra# is run &y the Bnited 3ations and they ha)e set it u% on a crediting
syste#. ,ere if the nation can %ro)e that there car&on %o''ution is under a &ase'ine they can se''
there credits. !he B3 ,ants %eo%'e to reduce there use of 'and for things 'i"e coffee gro,ing$
#eat and #i'" %roduction$ &ecause (ust reducing the usage in #any s#a'' far#s can ha)e a &ig
i#%act on the ,or'd ,ide sca'e. !he RE %rogra# has channe'ed o)er C117 #i''ion in direct
financia' aid and educationa' su%%ort into nationa' deforestation reduction efforts in 44
de)e'o%ing countries across 1frica$ 1sia and Datin 1#erica since its 200E ince%tion.
Rodriguez 7
2or"s cited
&e'tran$ (ohn. Feforestation* Co#%ro#ises of a Gro,ing 2or'd.-. Conser)e energy future$ n.d.
2e&. 22 >u'y 2014.
Feforestation and Greenhouse Gases.-. C?@$ H >an. 2012. 2e&. 27 >une 2014.
ro''ette an. F1 P'ague of eforestation :,ee%s 1cross :outheast 1sia.F. Ia'e Bni)ersity$ 20
May 201=. 2e&. 27 >une 2014.
FRain forest infor#ation.- Rain forest #a"er$ 7 >an. 2014. 2e&. = >u'y 2014.
:cheer$ Roddy$ and oug Moss. Feforestation and 0ts E/tre#e Effect on G'o&a' 2ar#ing.-.
Earthta'"$ 1= 3o). 2012. 2e&. 2H >une 2014.
:%i's&ury$ Richard. eforestation. 3e, Ior"* Rosen Centra'$ 2012. Print.
F!hree Essentia' :trategies for Reducing eforestation.F north Caro'ina state uni)ersity$ 1 ec.
2007. 2e&. = >u'y 2014. J.