FREE ESSAY ON RAINFORESTS

RAINFORESTS

The rainforests are very important to the world for many reasons, most of them being very
simple.
One major reason is that the plants in the forest turn carbon dioxide into clean air,
which helps us
fight pollution. Also, by absorbing carbon dioxide, the rainforests help deter the
greenhouse effect.
The trees of the rainforest store carbon dioxide in their roots, stems, branches, and
leaves. 
The plants and animals of the rainforest also provide us with food, fuel wood, shelter,
jobs, and
medicines. Image losing the potential cure for cancer or AIDS that might have been found
in an
undiscovered plant from the rainforest. (Tropical Rainforest Coalition, 1996) 
The vine Aucistrocladus koropensis may be effective in treating AIDS; we can only guess
what
other beneficial plants may be destroyed before we find them. (Allo, 1996) It is repeated
often
that the rainforest contains important plants that will cure the worst diseases of today.
Although
there is scientific proof of its value, the rainforest continues to disappear. 
In ever sense, a standing rainforest supplies more economic wealth then if it were
cleared... ...yet
deforestation continues at an alarming rate. (Tropical Rainforest Coalition, 1996)
According to the National Forest Association of Forest Industries (1996), there are about
4
billion hectares of forest in the world, of which about 25 percent is tropical
rainforest. 
The rainforest is full of diversity when it comes to the plants and animals that inhabit
it... many of
them are found no where else on Earth. These species have extremely valuable medical
properties... the only known cure for certain diseases come from species of the
rainforest. 
As an example of the rainforest's diversity, a single hectare in Kenya's Kakamega Forest
may
host between 100 and 150 different tree species, compared to only about 10 different
species in a
hectare of the forest of North America. (Allo, 1996) 
The diversity of rainforest species applies to much more than just trees. Although
insects represent
only 62 percent of the 1.4 million named organisms on the planet, scientists estimate
that the total
number of arthropods to number between 8 million and 80 million. (Allo, 1996) 
Only 20 percent of the nutrients of the rainforest are in the soil; 80 percent of the
nutrients remain in
the trees and plants. The rainwater of the forest is recycled by evaporation. Clouds
above the
forest's canopy help reflect sunlight which keeps temperatures within the forest to
remain more
stable. 
Although rainforests take vast amounts of time to regenerate, young forests are more
effective at
removing carbon from the air than older forests. Older forests absorb carbon less
efficiently, but
have more total carbon stored within them. 
The soil of the rainforests is only suitable for being rainforest soil, crops do not grow
well in it.
When forests are cut down, the soil erodes quickly and soon only a dry desert remains. 
Humans also inhabit the rainforests. Most of these people are indigenous, or Indian. It
is estimated
that there are over 1,000 or more indigenous groups around the world, but they are also
becoming
extinct. In 1900, Brazil had one million Indians. Today, there are fewer than 200,000 in
the
Amazon. (Stevenson Press, 1996)
There are two types of rainforests: tropical and temperate.
Tropical rainforests are found in 85 countries around the world. Ninety percent of these
forests
are concentrated into fifteen countries, each country containing over 10 million hectares
each.
(Malaysian Timber Council, 1995) Tropical rainforests are located near the equator,
where
temperatures stay above 80 degrees Fahrenheit year round. These dense, damp forests occur
in
Latin and South America, Africa, and in Southeast Asia. Although they [tropical
rainforests] cover
just seven percent of the Earth's surface, they can provide habitat for between 50 and 90
percent
of its plant and animal species. In 1990, tropical rainforests totaled some 1.7 billion
hectares.
(Forest Alliance of British Columbia, 1996) Half of the world's rainforests lie within
the borders of
Brazil, Indonesia, and Zaire. 
A tropical rainforest has three layers: the forest floor, the understory, and the canopy.
The forest
floor has poor soil. Mainly insects live on this layer, although large mammals like
gorillas and
jaguars are also found there. Many smaller animals, including anteaters, lemurs, and tree
kangaroos
live in the understory. This is also where many small trees and shrubs are found. The
canopy, or
top layer, is made up of the tops of trees which can grow to be over 200 feet high. Many
tropical
birds, monkeys, apes, snakes, and other animals live in the canopy. 
Temperate rainforests are much younger than their tropical relatives. Most temperate
rainforests
are less than 10,000 years old, compared to the tropical rainforests' millions of years.
The soil in
temperate forests are full of much more nutrients than that of the tropics. 
Temperate rainforests are located along the Pacific coast of Canada and the United
States, and are
also found in New Zealand, Tasmania, Chile, Ireland, as well as Scotland and Norway.
Temperate
rainforests are much more scarce than tropical rainforests. 
Some countries have both types, for example: Australia has both tropical and temperate
rainforests. Although Australia is mostly desert with little forest, it is recognized as
a leader of the
scientific understand of rainforests. (National Association of Forest Industries, 1996)
The cause of the destruction of the rainforest was put very simply by the Forest Alliance
of British
Columbia (1996): The global population has more than tripled this century, and will
continue to
grow for the next 50 years, particularly in developing countries. World population is
expected to
reach ten billion by 2050. Because the number of people living on the planet increases
every year,
the number of forest products needed also increases, forcing temperate and tropical
rainforests to
be cut down. 
Almost half of all tropical deforestation has occurred in South America. 
The rainforests of the world are disappearing at a rate of 80 acres per minute, day and
night...
...major climatic and other environmental changes will occur if this continues. (Costa
Rica
Rainforests Outward Bound School, 1996) The destruction of the rainforests cause carbon
dioxide
to be released, which in turn allows the greenhouse effect to occur. The greenhouse
effect raises
the temperatures all around the world, and can cause ice caps to melt. When ice caps
melt, the sea
level rises, causing major flooding around the world. 
Traditionally there were three major causes of destruction to the rainforest: farming,
ranching, and
logging. 
Farmers in rainforest countries are often poor and can't afford to buy land. Instead,
these farmers
clear rainforest land to grow their crops. Because tropical rainforest soil is so poor in
nutrients,
farmers cannot reuse the same land year after year. In following years, farmers just
clear more
land, destroying the forest piece by piece. 
Ranching also causes destruction of the rainforests. Ranchers clear large areas of
rainforest to
become pastures for their cattle. This land does not cost them very much, so they can
sell cattle at
low prices. Because it is very profitable, ranchers continue to clear rainforest land so
they can raise
and sell more cattle. During the 1980s, about 16.9 million hectares of tropical
rainforest was cut
down and replaced with farms and grazing land for cattle. (Forest Alliance of British
Columbia,
1996) 
The third major traditional reason for destruction of the rainforests is logging. Trees
from the
rainforest are used for building houses, making furniture, and providing pulp for paper
products,
such as newspapers and magazines. Rainforest that was chopped down can grow back over
time,
but they will never have the same variety of plants and animals they once did. 
The Amazon rainforest still remains as it was years ago, with less destruction occurring
than in
many other forests, because it is very large and remote. But the Amazon may not remain
so
peaceful for long. Transnational corporations are now targeting the Amazon and the other
rainforests because of the latest problem of in rainforest destruction: Greed. 
Corporations have convinced many rainforest countries that it would improve their
economies by
allowing the companies to use the land, and now these countries economies have become
dependent on it. 
Oil companies often attempt to trick and bribe the Indians into signing over to them the
rights of the
land. But the people have begun to fight back, for example: Occidental Petroleum's use
of
coercion to get the native communities to sign away land rights violates Ecuadorian and
international law protecting indigenous people, and runs counter to company policies that
state
Occidental will protect the environment, health and safety... of the communities in which
we
operate. (Wright, 1996) 
Although Occidental is attempting to fight local governments, the oil produced if
Occidental were
to win the land would only satisfy the petroleum needs of the U.S. for thirteen days. 
The rainforests are disappearing rapidly, and mainly for correctable problems... that
should have
been corrected years ago. 
Tropical rainforests once covered more than 14 percent of the Earth's land area... they
now
amount to less than 6 percent. (Tropical Rainforest Coalition, 1996)
The cause of the destruction of the rainforest was put very simply by the Forest Alliance
of British
Columbia (1996): The global population has more than tripled this century, and will
continue to
grow for the next 50 years, particularly in developing countries. World population is
expected to
reach ten billion by 2050. Because the number of people living on the planet increases
every year,
the number of forest products needed also increases, forcing temperate and tropical
rainforests to
be cut down. 
Almost half of all tropical deforestation has occurred in South America. 
The rainforests of the world are disappearing at a rate of 80 acres per minute, day and
night...
...major climatic and other environmental changes will occur if this continues. (Costa
Rica
Rainforests Outward Bound School, 1996) The destruction of the rainforests cause carbon
dioxide
to be released, which in turn allows the greenhouse effect to occur. The greenhouse
effect raises
the temperatures all around the world, and can cause ice caps to melt. When ice caps
melt, the sea
level rises, causing major flooding around the world. 
Traditionally there were three major causes of destruction to the rainforest: farming,
ranching, and
logging. 
Farmers in rainforest countries are often poor and can't afford to buy land. Instead,
these farmers
clear rainforest land to grow their crops. Because tropical rainforest soil is so poor in
nutrients,
farmers cannot reuse the same land year after year. In following years, farmers just
clear more
land, destroying the forest piece by piece. 
Ranching also causes destruction of the rainforests. Ranchers clear large areas of
rainforest to
become pastures for their cattle. This land does not cost them very much, so they can
sell cattle at
low prices. Because it is very profitable, ranchers continue to clear rainforest land so
they can raise
and sell more cattle. During the 1980s, about 16.9 million hectares of tropical
rainforest was cut
down and replaced with farms and grazing land for cattle. (Forest Alliance of British
Columbia,
1996) 
The third major traditional reason for destruction of the rainforests is logging. Trees
from the
rainforest are used for building houses, making furniture, and providing pulp for paper
products,
such as newspapers and magazines. Rainforest that was chopped down can grow back over
time,
but they will never have the same variety of plants and animals they once did. 
The Amazon rainforest still remains as it was years ago, with less destruction occurring
than in
many other forests, because it is very large and remote. But the Amazon may not remain
so
peaceful for long. Transnational corporations are now targeting the Amazon and the other
rainforests because of the latest problem of in rainforest destruction: Greed. 
Corporations have convinced many rainforest countries that it would improve their
economies by
allowing the companies to use the land, and now these countries economies have become
dependent on it. 
Oil companies often attempt to trick and bribe the Indians into signing over to them the
rights of the
land. But the people have begun to fight back, for example: Occidental Petroleum's use
of
coercion to get the native communities to sign away land rights violates Ecuadorian and
international law protecting indigenous people, and runs counter to company policies that
state
Occidental will protect the environment, health and safety... of the communities in which
we
operate. (Wright, 1996) 
Although Occidental is attempting to fight local governments, the oil produced if
Occidental were
to win the land would only satisfy the petroleum needs of the U.S. for thirteen days. 
The rainforests are disappearing rapidly, and mainly for correctable problems... that
should have
been corrected years ago. 
Tropical rainforests once covered more than 14 percent of the Earth's land area... they
now
amount to less than 6 percent. (Tropical Rainforest Coalition, 1996)
Worldwide boycotts are the most effective ways of stopping rainforest destruction.
Boycotting fast
food restaurants that serve hamburgers that came from cattle raised on rainforest land
could help
prevent matters from getting worse. News such as more than 25% of the forests in Central
America have been cleaned for pasture land [and] most cattle produced in Costa Rica is
exported
to developed countries for use in fast food hamburgers (Costa Rica Rainforest Outward
Bound
School, 1996) could have easily been prevented by boycotting the hamburgers. 
It is believed by many ecologists that some tropical rainforests can be harvested without
causing
damage to the great variety of plants and animals that live there. The key is careful
planning,
sensitive harvesting, and appropriate silvicultural regimes to ensure healthy new forests
are
regenerated. (Forest Alliance of British Columbia, 1996) 
One could help prevent destruction by not buying furniture products made from rosewood,
mahogany, ebony, and teakwood, because they most likely came from the rainforests. 
If one wishes to become more involved with protection of the rainforests, it is possible
to adopt
acres of rainforest land. For only $45, you can adopt one acre of rainforest. Your
contribution
funds land acquisition, legal fees, and security costs to ensure that acre will be
protected as part of
a designated land preserve. (Tropical Rainforest Coalition, 1996) (See Appendix) 
Ecotourism programs are available for those who adopt so that they may see their land
and
experience the true beauty of the forests. 
Tourism itself aids in protecting the rainforest, for example: According to Guatemala's
Minister of
Culture, ecotourist traffic has kept away poachers, illegal wood harvesters and burners,
and
drug-runners with secret air strips in the north jungle. (Rembert, 1996) 
As mentioned earlier, boycotts can really help to protect the forest. Companies such as
Mitsubishi,
who are helping to fund oil pipeline projects that build pipelines directly through
rainforest land,
may consider stopping their actions if their customers show concern. 
Although it appears as though everyone can help protect the forests, in order for their
long-term
existence, the local people who are used to burning and cultivating, logging, and hunting
must learn
the alternatives to the traditional, destructive occupations. 
Ecology is not about saving a tree here and a river there; rather, it is about the
complex system
that governs how things work together. (Hayes, 1996) Both temperate and tropical
rainforests
are important, if we want to protect them, we must learn to use them with care. We must
understand how forest ecosystems work, and how our everyday decisions effect their
well-being.
(Forest Alliance of British Columbia, 1996)
The purpose of this paper is introduce the reader to the truths about the rainforests and
its
destruction. The rainforests are disappearing acres per minute, a number that grows so
quickly it
would be impossible to cite here because it would grow outdated within a week. The
rainforests
are home to over half of the entire species of the world, which are being destroyed with
the
rainforests. 
Unlike the rainforest itself which may appear to grow back, it will never be the
rainforest it once
was, and all of those species that were killed will never return again. Many of those
species that
have not yet been discovered may very likely cure cancer, AIDS, and many of the other
diseases
and viruses of today. If the rainforests disappear, so will most of the population of the
world. This
report will help the reader to learn more about the causes of the horrifying destruction,
and ways
that the reader can help stop it! 
This report is about many aspects of the rainforest: what rainforests are, a brief
summary of the
importances of the rainforests, a description of the destruction of the rainforest, and
an informative
section about how an average person can help to save the rainforest. 
In this report the reader will learn many things, from the great diversity of the
rainforest, to why
simply not buying fast food hamburgers can help to save it. Also, the reader will
hopefully have a
better understanding of how more slowly developing countries' economies work and how
laws
really do help to protect the environment to a certain extent. Acres of rainforest are
destroyed
every minute, this paper will explain to the reader why this is happening, and why this
needs to be
stopped.
Dear Citizen of Earth November 1, 1999
The most important piece of Rainforests Destruction information to understand is this:
If no action is taken, between 2012 and 2016 the land area of virgin Rainforests will go
below the critical built-in natural safeguard threshold providence of 10% virgin
Rainforests area with its 50% species remaining. 
This issue of Rainforests destruction and mass species extinctions is the # 1 issue
facing humanity. We may have as little as 5 years to create the awareness to completely
stop Rainforests destruction before this momentum brings us through our Omega Point. 
LOVEARTH was formed 11 years ago with the intent to bring awareness to the devastating
effects which humanity is inflicting on our beautiful planet. The 6 billion people now
living on Earth are already far beyond its carrying capacity. 
Our reckless expansion into wilderness areas is causing countless atrocities to all life
sustaining ecosystems. The virgin Rainforests are home to 61.8% of all the biological
diversity on Earth. In this, the richest environment for life, we are destroying a land
area which is equivalent to the size of the city of Error! Bookmark not defined. Japan (
240 square miles ) every day. This equals 6417 acres per hour, 107 acres per minute or
1.78 acres per second. 
This destruction of virgin Rainforests land area causes somewhere between 93 and 1609
Rainforests species extinctions per day. The wide disparity of these species extinction
numbers is because of 4 Error! Bookmark not defined. the best scientific consensus has
yet to agree upon. 
We believe, based on the Fibonacci series of numbers which are found throughout nature,
that there are approximately 560 Rainforests species extinctions per day. This equals one
Rainforests species extinction every 2 minutes and 33 seconds. 
We are but a strand in the fabric of life, all intricately interdependent on one another.
And yet here we are, in the mere geological blink of an eye, eroding the very foundation
of our own existence with mass species extinctions. This 6th great mass extinction period
on Earth that we are insanely causing by the suicidal annihilation of the Web of Life,
will very soon bring about our own extinction. 
In 1992 some 1,700 of the world's leading scientists, including the majority of the most
intellectually elite people on Earth, the living Nobel Laureates in the Sciences, signed
the document World Scientists' Warning To Humanity. It states, Human beings and the
natural world are on a collision course. Human activities inflict harsh and often
irreversible damage on the environment and on critical resources... and may so alter the
living world that it will be unable to sustain life in the manner that we know. 
The Omega Point is the point in time, when all of the devastation we have inflicted over
the years to our life support ecosystems finally becomes too much and they irreversibly
fail, no longer able to sustain Homo Sapiens. What this translates into for our future
generations is an ever increasingly nightmarish slippery slope to extinction. 
If we are going to survive, it is imperative that we change our ways completely and
change them right now. As Albert Einstein said, We shall require a substantially new
manner of thinking if mankind is to survive. 
We believe that as early as 1991, because of the cumulative shortsighted destruction
egregiously caused by Homo Sapiens to all life ecosystems, humanity entered a gray zone
where the Omega Point may be crossed for our species at any time. We can tell you with
all assurance that we will pass the Omega Point somewhere between the years 2012 - 2016
at our present rate of Rainforests destruction. 
Between the years 2012 - 2016 we will go below the 10% / 50% Safeguard Threshold
Providence ( STP ). This will occur when 10% of Virgin Rainforest Area ( VRA ) with 50%
of Rainforest Species ( RS ) are all that remain from what originally had been. This was
before our population started growing exponentially 12,000 years ago with the advent of
the new food energy technology, known as agriculture. 
The beautiful providence that nature safeguards is the diversity of life itself. If we
fell, level or slash and burn 90% of the Virgin Rainforest Area, only 50% of Rainforests
Species will go extinct. Somehow in the last 10% of VRA nature magically holds on to 50%
of RS. Lucky for us we realized this in time, before we violate nature's inherent limits.

We use the beauty of this built-in natural threshold, as the barometer to tell us when
the Omega Point for Homo Sapiens will occur. If we ever go below this 10% / 50% Safeguard
Threshold Providence, we will become extinct. This is analogous to when humans lose more
than 90% of their liver function, they will almost always die. If they lose less than 90%
of their liver, they most likely will survive. 
As of November 1, 1999, all that remains of the Virgin Rainforest Area is 23.88% with
57.71% of Rainforest Species. The amount of VRA that is being destroyed by humanity this
year alone is equal to the land area of all the following states put together: Rhode
Island, Delaware, Connecticut, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Hawaii,
Maryland and South Carolina. This is almost the size of the United Kingdom 
This bleak situation of breaking the 10% / 50% Safeguard Threshold Providence between the
critical years 2012 - 2016 gets even worse when you take into account the enormous
momentum of our exterminating machine. It will take about 3 to 6 years for us to put on
our brakes to stop it. This means that as early as 2006 if we have not created the
awareness and changed our status quo lifestyles we will slide through the Safeguard
Threshold Providence of 2012. 
There is yet another factor that hastens this outcome by approximately 1 more year, and
that is, there is a difference between a Virgin Rainforest Area that has never been
touched by man and one that was. If we were to walk from a VRA to a Rainforest leveled
1000 years ago and left alone for the intervening years, we would not recognize the
difference between them. They look very much the same to the untrained eye. 
Now we have learned in the Rainforest leveled a 1000 years ago, only about 17% of the
original inhabiting species are found today. This means 83% of the original biodiversity
has still not returned. Nature takes her own time to heal and fully restore. It can take
as short as one to two million years, providing there is a favorable geological
environment for nature to rebalance and achieve full self organization restoration. 
Therefore when only 10% Virgin Rainforests Area remains, somewhere between 5% and 10% of
these Rainforests will not be virgin. They will have been touched by man at sometime in
the past, resulting in many fewer species. This means we will reach 50% Rainforest
Species remaining, when there is about 11 % Virgin Rainforests left. 
This is where the 10% / 50% STP will lose another year. Then minus the 3 to 6 years to
stop our momentum and we are looking at the years 2005 to 2012. This leaves us as little
as only 5 years to become aware and take action before it's too late. 
Nothing is more important than the issue of these mass Rainforests extinctions. This is
the number one issue now facing humanity. 
With the manmade ecological disaster of mass species extinctions we are losing the full
richness of nature's beauty. Each time we lose a species we lose their invaluable genetic
code. Their form-field vanishes forever. The fabric of life is losing too many strands
and is quickly beginning to unravel to a point of no return. Homo Sapiens cannot survive
without this Web of Life that supports us all. 
What about the all of the still unknown detrimental effects that Rainforests destruction
and mass species extinctions will have on the oxygen / carbon cycle, the hydrological
cycle and the electromagnetic cycle? And what about the 50% or more of all the drug
compounds to help cure diseases that are found in the Rainforest? They are forever gone
with every extinction of life. 
What do we do to stop future plagues, when in fact, it is we who are creating them by the
very destruction of the Rainforests in the first place? Mass species extinctions are
creating havoc with the checks and balances found throughout nature. Plague causing life
forms will run amuck and spread uninhibited up the food chain. A quick and certain
Catch-22 to extinction for Homo Sapiens, if we let it be. We must change our ways
immediately. We must become sustainable so that we may leave our future generations a
beautiful Earth upon which they may flourish. 
Rainforests Biodiversity Scale Of Destruction
( see scale below ) shows in an easy to understand way the exact scale of annihilation we
humans are causing to the Rainforests. Over a 37 year span it shows year by year what
percentage of Rainforests Land Area and what percentage of Rainforests Species remain. It
also shows what percentage of species are going extinct per year and how many are going
extinct per day. 
The scale is based on the 25 million square kilometers of Rainforests that once covered
our beautiful Earth and the current rate of deforestation, 222,000 square kilometers per
year. These numbers are computations from many sources including satellite imagery, World
Resources Institute, Friends of the Earth, The United Nations and most recently the Woods
Hole Research Center. 
This scale also takes into account that if the current trends are to continue, we would
peak at 250,000 square kilometers per year in the period from 2005 to 2010 and then would
begin to fall because not enough Rainforests would remain to sustain such high declines.
As of today, November 1, 1999 there are 5.97 million square kilometers left or 23.88%
Virgin Rainforests Area, with 57.71% Rainforests Species remaining. 
You will find Rainforests scale a useful tool to help yourself, your family and friends
to understand the ramifications of not taking action immediately. Once again let us
remind you, there is nothing more important than the issue of these mass extinctions. It
is the number one issue now facing humanity. Please share this study and scale.