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The loss of rain forest – bad news disguised as good news.
Sometimes bad news is announces as good news. An example is the latest news about the destruction of the Amazon rain forest in Brazil. The rate of destruction has fallen by 27%, which means that “only” 4,600 square kilometres have been lost in the twelve months ending in July 2012, compared with 6,000 square kilometres the previous year. For small mercies we should give thanks but this is not a small mercy, but simply a statement that we are permanently destroying less of the rain forest now than we did a year ago.
“I believe that it is the only good piece of environmental news”, said Brazilian government Environment minister Izabella Teixeira, but she is wrong in her belief. I do not denigrate the Brazilian government’s efforts, but they are clearly insufficient. It is bad news disguised as good news.
People destroy the rain forest for financial again. They chop down trees to sell the timber and they clear land for agriculture and cattle. It is a classic situation where the short term gain is had at the expense of the long term problem. Deforestation release huge amounts of carbon dioxide, from burning and from the massive soil disturbance. The rain forest is a world resource and it is inappropriate to expect the Brazilian government and the Brazilian people to protect a world resource for humanity without help from the rest of humanity that benefits from it.
All over the world rain forests are declining. It is inevitable that this decline will have an effect on our climate, our air quality and our ability to sustain our way of life for future generations.
Filed under: carbon dioxide, carbon emissions, climate change, global warming Tagged: Amazon rain forest, bad news disguised as good news., climate, destruction of the amazon rain forest, environment, Izabella Teixeira, loss of rain forest, rain forest, rain forests, rate of rain forest destruction 
2012-11-29 07:00:59
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