Amazon Forest and environmental responsibility
Hi everyone!
I think we all have to do basic things to guarantee the continuity of the life in the world. We are responsible for ours homes, and we are responsible for the Earth. However, over the years we - the human beings - have ravaged our forests, we have polluted rivers, and we have contributed to extinct animal species. Now the entire world is looking to the Amazon Rainforest and we all are concerned about its future. But what is exactly the Amazon Jungle? What this forest represent to us?
The Amazon Rainforest is one of the biggest forests of the world. Its total area is about 7 million square kilometers. The forest extends itself for nine countries: Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, and Brazil. About 60% of the area of the forest is in Brazilian territory.
We are talking about a place that has the biggest biodiversity of the world and works like a big bank of DNA. I'm not sure if I should refer to the forest as being "a place". Maybe I should call it "an organism". If you sum the plant species of North America and Europe, this number is inferior of the diversity of plants in this forest. The Amazon River, the biggest of the world, crosses the jungle and has 6.500 km long. Just in Brazil, in Amazon Jungle are more than 170 different indigenous languages. There is gold there. There are diamonds, natural gas, oil, and many other natural resources, too. Maybe the cures for most diseases are there - but we don´t know yet. We have not studied what the jungle can give to us.
Amazon Forest helps to control humidity and temperature in the entire world. To comprehend this, you should see the world as a system. I live in a region within Brazil that depends on the forest directly. If there was not the Amazon Forest, the Brazilian Northeast would be a desert.
Despite its importance we continue to devastate it. In 2008 we lose almost 25 thousand of square kilometers of the Amazonia Forest just in Brazil. A big part of this area was destined to cultivate soybeans and sugar cane, and to raise cattle. And a part of the noble wood that was illegally extracted was exported to many countries.
Here in Brazil we witnessed a heated debate between those who want its conservation, the ones that want its sustainable exploitation, and the minor group (but the most powerful) wants to exploit the riches of the forest.
The first group arguments the jungle must be untouchable. The second defends its exploitation by community in a sustainable basis, without destroy the jungle. The third group, in general, has no environmental responsibility.
The politicians here dislike when an important vehicle of the media (like BBC or New York Times) criticizes their inability to deal with the problems of devastation in Amazon Jungle or any other forest. They just listen to those who finance their campaigns. When they express any concern about enviroment it is just rethoric. Their words almost never are translated in actions to protect the enviroment.
But we have to recognize the problem and we must to improve our skills to lead with it. Including the politicians.
You should observe that I’m NOT talking about sovereignty or property rights. I’m talking about deforestation and environmental responsibility.
Now you should think about your home, your city, and your country.
Try to answer these questions:
1)Are you concerned about the future?
2)Do you use rationally resources like water, electricity, gas and paper?
3)Do you have many forests in your country? If not, why? Was they deforested? Why?
4)Are you a part of the problem or you work hard for a solution?
I think it is hard to talk about it but we have do something.
Best wishes.
Comments
Hello Marcos, what a nice piece of writing you produced. I read it very carefully and enthusiastically. I totally agree with you when you say we must try to improve our skills to deal with the problem. And we can do this by learning about enviromental issues and trying to choose people to represent us in the government who are commited to this important cause. And, besides that we can try to act in a way that shows everyone how seriously we consider this problem by doing the small things you mentioned we can do, such as dealing responsably with the water, garbage and othe little things within our grasp. Thank you for this nice entry. See you. Mauricio.
I'm already sensibilized to save electricity, water and paper . Last year we have both a new car byfuel ( petrol-methane ) With this car we can drive more than 230 km with € 10 . On the other side we have reduce dramatically the pollution. We use a lot a bicycle because is the best trasportation system with ZERO emission of pollution.
Hi Marcos, Thanks for writing about this existential topic! I think there is no one anywhere who is in doubt about the critical and threatening situation! But I'm in doubt either about the capability of any humble, normal person to influence or even to change something. Of cause we can try to live and act carefully and responsibly, but any decisions will be made by those who own the money. Sorry, I don't want to be impolite, but I'm old enough to be very disillusioned. Best regards Verena
Hi Marcos! You´re right. The Amazon Forest issue is a hot topic around here. I believe the sustainable development is a good way to provide an income for the families who live in that area, because it helps to create an ecological awareness among the population. However, I think that what the Amazon Forest really needs are effective actions to stop its deforestation. Best wishes, Ana Paula.
Hi Marcos! This entry is very thoughtful and inciting. I’ve read about or watch some on TV that the Amazon has been deforested by industrial growth and many tribes have been threatening to lose their shelters and struggling to find their diets. To be frank, I don’t know how to help them and I am not brave enough to be an environmental activist. On the other hand, I am trying hard to be conscious of environmental problem. I do recycling shopping bags and try to use my car less. Our family is also very strict about wasting water or gas and so on. For instant, when we have a shower we are allowed ourselves to stay in the shower boot for three minutes. Another example, when we brush our teeth, we always make sure the water tap is not running which many people does. If my son sees the tap running he will say ‘money down the drain’ and turn it off. There are certain things you can to help the suffering and worsening earth do trivial actions. If each person gives thoughts of how to improve on the problem and, contribute something towards as much as we can we will pass our next generation the healthier earth. The earth does belong to them. We are just tenancies and we have no right to ruin or destroy it. Keep on good work!
Hello Marcos! I think this is a polemical topic. I´m one of those who supports the sustainable exploitation of Amazon. I don´t think that it´s possible to prevent using natural resoucers of it. So, in order to do that rationally, people should be educated about what is there, how can we use it and preserve it at the same time and why is so important to keep it. I´m personally concerned about the future, cause I would like to breath some fresh air when I´ll be 80 years-old! :-) Joking apart, rational use of gas, electricity and specially water depends on well-designed local government´s political, for example, if availability to drinking water is very cheap, some people won´t be shy of using it without any restriction, I mean, washing cars and even floors with potable water! In addition, to preserve good things this civilization has inherited is needed world effort rather than personal ones.
Hi Marcos. Very good comments. Its interesting Plinio talking about saving water. This is something that we brazilian have to think very carefully about. We have rivers that give us enough water, so most of us are not concerned to save it. But we have to start saving water. We have to stop polluting rivers and sea. In my city the big discussion is about treatment of sewage. The dispose of sewage are still being done in rivers and sea. We have NGOs trying to change this, but its very dificult because people do not involve themselves in the cause. Usually people think that because we have so much water avaiable it will never stop flowing. Funny (or sad) is that part of this huge country suffer from scarce water. But we have done good things too. We developed ethanol fuel in the 70s and now we have byfuel cars (petrol-ethanol and petrol-methane). Its a promise despite the discussion concerning the agriculture issue.
Very nice info! I completely agree with you. Hope every one around the world is encouraged after reading this. Lets hope for the best to see the world in prosperity.
Hi Marcos! thank you very much,because of your great post. it's a serious problem around the world,not only in Brazil. in Iran,we have such problems. I believe we must preserve natural resources or we will be destroyed. it's quite serious.
Hi Marcos!you realy describe a true story.i am agree with yor opinion.we should try to protect our jungles for natural beauty.
Dear Marcos, I read your entry and I found it very intresting. In my opinion preserving nature must be everyone's responsibility. we have to sensitise people especially children, the future, to the importance and the pressing nature of the issue. In the region where I live, an oasis, things are everyday being jeoperdised. Poor people cut palm trees to sell them to rich people who use them in their villas gardens. And by doing this, I think things here begin to fall apart. Now I'm trying to set up an association to preserve the heritage of this oasis.I'm also preparing some video shows about the importance of supporting the preservation of forests in the world, especially Amazon rain Forest forests? THE LUNGS OF mother planet Earth.I HOPE MY PROJECT WILL COME TRUE.
Very interesting
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