"Self-Analysis Post"

Throughout my journey as a first time blogger, I see how I have grown so much from only knowing that the rainforests are pretty, and that they would be gone soon, to knowing all the resources of the rainforests, and all of the implications deforestation brings. For example, I did not know that many indigenous tribes were being destroyed, or that orangutans are becoming extinct because of deforestation.I have learned that it is crucial to be unbiased and to consider all sides of the issue. At first, I was ignorant to the fact of how much rainforests contribute to the economies of many small countries, such as Malaysia, with the selling of tropical hardwoods, and cultivation of the number one fruit crop, palm oil. At first, the only solution I knew of, or thought best, was to completely stop deforestation. However, now that I see the world is reliant upon the rainforests in its living, and deforested state, that is probably not the best or simplest solution. I've learned that methods such as afforestation, or growing bamboo in place of the hardwood trees, is a more probable solution, with advantages to both sides.

"Class Links"

In order to become completely knowledgeable on an issue and to develop an educated opinion on it, one must self-inform through more than this blog alone. Three of my classmates have really informational blogs that aren't necessarily about deforestation, but the topics are all connected mainly through a cause and effect relationship.
The first blog I highly recommend is at http://heatinitup.blogspot.com. This blog is about global warming and its effects on the world and environment. As I previously discussed, deforestation adds to global warming, so it is crucial to have a good understanding on what global warming is and what all the causes and effects are, in order to understand why this is such a bad thing.
The second blog that is worthwhile is at http://vilese11.blogspot.com. This blog focuses on the fact that even though the church and state are supposed to be completely separate, the government still plays a huge role in matters of religion. It shows how involved the government is in every aspect of our life. It is largely because of the government's role in the economies of countries that deforestation occurs at such a devastating rate.

The last blog is at http://benefitsofscr.blogspot.com. This is a blog supporting stem cell research. This has nothing to do with deforestation, but it shows a project that the government has invested in, that has only positive outcomes. My blog is very much anti-government involvement, but this one shows the opposite view point and supports it very well. I want to emphasize the fact that I am unbiased in that I acknowledge the fact that the government is doing things to try to help the world as well.

Fun links on deforestation!

Here are some links to deforestation and its affect on global warming and the environment:
http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2006/1000385/index.html
http://rainforests.mongabay.com/0907.htm
http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/solutions/tropical-deforestation.html

Here are some very informational sites about indigenous people of the rainforests:
http://ran.org/fileadmin/materials/education/factsheets/RAN_IndigenousPeoples.pdf
http://www.rainforestfoundationuk.org/s-Indigenous%20People

This site includes pictures of the rainforests highlighting the beauty of them, and also pictures of deforestation at work:
http://www.rainforests.net/pictures.htm

This site discusses the biodiversity of the rainforests such as the many different species of animals and plants:
http://www.srl.caltech.edu/personnel/krubal/rainforest/Edit560s6/www/plants.html

This site lists and describes in a concise way all of the important roles of the rainforests:
http://www.rainforestinfo.org.au/good_wood/the_imp.htm

This site present the other side of the binary issue and reasons for deforestation:
http://www.wrm.org.uy/deforestation/index.html

This site provides possible solutions to the problem of deforestation:
http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/campaigns/forests/solutions-to-deforestation

"Theory Posting"

I believe that the two sides of the binary issue of deforestation stem from seeing the value of rainforests in two different lights. The side that includes logging companies and governments see only the short term benefits of deforestation. Many economies of smaller countries rely on making wood products and cultivating crops such as palm oil for a substantial amount of revenue. The other side looks at more of the long term effects of deforestation. I think that it is currently considered a "binary" issue because most people are unaware of the grave state of the rainforests; we can blow it off because deforestation is not something that directly affects us, yet. So, even if people are anti-deforestation, until they actually start being pro-active about it, they might as well be pro-deforestation. An order to bring an end to these polarized sides, both sides need to come to a comprise on the situation. Anti-deforestation people need to accept that deforestation will probably never come to an end completely and that such radical proposals are thus unhelpful to the problem, and pro-deforestation people need to practice more environmentally friendly cultivation methods, and afforestation in all affected forests.

"Implications Posting"

At the current rate of deforestation, 13 million hectares of forests lost per year, rainforests could be completely destroyed in less than 40 years! Consequently, the whole world will be negatively affected by this. Global warming will increase drastically because there will be a lot less trees to absorb carbon dioxide and turn it into oxygen. Loss of the rainforests will create a major dent in biodiversity. Many endangered animals of the rainforests such as the orangutan will become extinct, affecting the entire ecosystem of rainforest areas. Also, many remedies derived from plants will no longer be available and the possibility of finding a cure for cancer decreases tremendously. Lastly, native people of the rainforests will no longer be able to thrive here; forcing them to live an unfamiliar world where they will have a hard time assimilating into the busy and at times cruel world of "civilized society;" this will be a great loss to the diverse aspect of the world and the many unique cultures of it.

Orangutans on the Brink of Extinction

Deforestation has pushed the existence of Orangutans closer to the brink than ever. They have lost around 80% of their home over the past two decades due to slash and burn methods to clear land for palm oil plantations and logging. The illegal pet trade also contributes to their demise. Poachers capture baby Orangutans, killing the mother in the process, and sell them to people for entertainment and amusement. However, they do not stay cute babies forever; once they are grown, they become too uncontrollable and large to be domesticated. The owner usually either cages them in horrible conditions, kills them, or releases them back into the wild. Even if they are released back into the wild, they have not grown up with the skills needed to survive in the wild, and will most likely die because of this.

The Indigenous People of the Rainforests

Tropical rainforests have provided shelter for humans since ancient times. These people have built their lives around the surrounding forests and its systems. Consequently, they are a great storehouse of the knowledge about the forests. They know the medicinal properties of the plants, and understand the value of the forest as a thriving ecosystem. However, as forests fall, these people lose their homes and their culture. There were an estimated ten million Indians living in the Amazon rainforest, today there are only about 200,000. In Brazil alone, European colonists have destroyed about 90 indigenous tribes since the 1990's.
In the past, commercial firms, settlers, and governments developed forest lands without the permission of the original indigenous inhabitants. Even today, in countries like Brazil and Bolivia, private interests illegally encroach on the lands of native peoples. Sometimes, indigenous people will be given the choice of whether they want their land developed or left in its natural state. Often times, this creates a rift in the tribe because some people want the change, and some want the land untouched. On occasion, development firms will make a deal with those who support development, ignoring the wishes of the rest. Elders of a community can also be taken advantage of by developers because they don't always understand the meaning of "sale;" they regard land and many other material things as communal property, something that is shared among all. When development occurs, native people are encouraged to move away from the rainforests and into a more civilized area. Many are reluctant, but they do see conveniences in our culture such as T-shirts and Tupperware. As they slowly start to turn to this culture, think of all the elements from their culture they lose, and in turn we lose. Knowledge about the complexity of the rainforests, medicinal plants, methods of cultivation, ecological value, are all gone. Gone are the unique cultures that have thrived in the rainforests for generations.