Deforestation is a very big and important environmental problem which is yet to be effectively addressed. According to Norman Myer, who published a book on the subject in 1979, "the main causes of deforestation are excessive logging, slash and burn agriculture, cattle raising and harvesting for fuel."
Here's a link of the video that shows how much this issue affects the world and so as with the human being.
http://vimeo.com/37055226
Monday, February 20, 2012
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Newlyweds relive tradition on deforestation
In all over the world, the
rate of the devastation of forests is unimaginable. Approximately half of the
mature tropical land is ruined. As the humans are more aware for searching of
new accommodation, and making urban areas, they have become the largest cause
of deforestation. The good thing is that there are people who still follow their traditions to, at least, help in the environment.
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| Cucu and his bride, Yati Supriyatna, plant two saplings during their wedding ceremony. |
"On a hot and sticky morning in a village near Garut, 26-year-old Cucu carries a sapling to give to his bride. The young tree is not exactly a unique gift; it's part of a government initiative to bring back the Garut province's devastated forests."
Since it is said that the land in Garut has been devastated by huge destruction, this couple relived their tradition by planting two saplings during their wedding ceremony. The agreement was, they must plant ten trees under the program but if they decided to divorce, they must plant fifty.
The reason behind the massive destruction of their landscape is Indonesia being the world's third largest producer of greenhouse emission. That is mainly the consequence of the removal of its trees, which stops the absorption of carbon dioxide. In fact there is a place in Garut which is considered as "critical land" by the forestry officials. It is said to be the critical land because it has been over farmed that might cause erosion and major flooding. This place badly needs to be reforested.
Indonesia's government does not have enough funds to sustain their land. There is a possibility that the government might raise the amount of tax levied to the people just to fill their insufficient funds. So it is nice to know that there are people who are willing to follow their tradition (newly weds that plant trees) in order to help not only their environment but also the government and the citizens of their place. And at the same time, their tradition lives continuously which is amazing because nowadays most of the tradition are not followed.
The reason behind the massive destruction of their landscape is Indonesia being the world's third largest producer of greenhouse emission. That is mainly the consequence of the removal of its trees, which stops the absorption of carbon dioxide. In fact there is a place in Garut which is considered as "critical land" by the forestry officials. It is said to be the critical land because it has been over farmed that might cause erosion and major flooding. This place badly needs to be reforested.
Indonesia's government does not have enough funds to sustain their land. There is a possibility that the government might raise the amount of tax levied to the people just to fill their insufficient funds. So it is nice to know that there are people who are willing to follow their tradition (newly weds that plant trees) in order to help not only their environment but also the government and the citizens of their place. And at the same time, their tradition lives continuously which is amazing because nowadays most of the tradition are not followed.
- Erwin John R. Orate
Biggest trees face dire future
Big trees face a dire future due to the habitat
fragmentation, selective harvesting by loggers, exotic invaders, and the
effects of climate change.
Selective logging can be damaging in and of itself to forest ecology,
but even more worrying for the authors is that logging in any form
substantially increases the risk of complete forest clearing.
Clearing of previously logged forest is particularly acute in
Indonesia, where palm oil producers and pulp and paper companies have converted
vast swathes of land for plantations. The authors note that Indonesia's recent
decision to exclude some 35 million hectares of logged-over secondary forest
from their moratorium on new concessions for plantations was in part driven by
accessibility granted by logging roads.
Logging is expected to figure prominently in a climate change
mitigation measure known as reducing emissions from deforestation and
degradation (REDD), which is currently under discussion in international
climate talks. The concept originally aimed to fund relatively conventional
forest conservation, but has since been expanded to REDD+ to include activities
that degrade forests and therefore produce carbon dioxide. REDD+ may involve
logging in two ways: providing funds to prevent it outright in a project area
or acting as a form of subsidy to shift conventional logging practices toward
less damaging ones.
Opportunities
to directly tackle tropical forest logging, including bans on raw-log exports
that have been adopted by many countries, reducing annual allowable cuts and
extending rotation times, eliminating barriers to community ownership of
forests through land tenure reform, cutting subsidies that favor industrial
forestry, and establishing protected areas where logging is prohibited.
Reviewing research from forest around the world
provides evidence of decline among the world’s “biggest and most magnificent”
trees and details the range of the threats they face. Its demise will have
substantial impacts on the biodiversity and forest ecology, while worsening
climate change.
Giant trees offer critical habitat and forge
for wildlife, while transpiring massive amount of water through their leaves,
contributing to local rain fall. Old trees also lock up massive amounts of carbon.
The ability of big trees to sequester carbon
and render other ecosystem service is threatened by human activities. Loggers
particularly target some of the world’s largest trees. The oldest trees are the
most valuable and therefore the first to be cut in the virgin forest areas.
Big trees are also sensitive to fragmentation, which exposes them to
stronger winds and drier conditions. Its susceptibility seems counter-intuitive
given big trees' life histories, which invariably include periods of drought and
other stress.
Climate change is having less direct impacts on forests,
including creating conditions for exotic pathogens to thrive.
"The decline of big trees foretells a different world where
ancient behemoths are replaced by short-lived pioneers and generalists that can
grow anywhere, where forests store less carbon and sustain fewer dependent
animals, where giant cathedral-like crowns become a thing of the past."
- Paulo Anjelo J. Santos
Friday, February 17, 2012
Brazil Senate passes Amazon deforestation code
Brazil is the third largest carbon emitting country in the world. The
country is currently confronted with a number of environmental issues. Accompanied
by deforestation, there is illegal wildlife trade, air and water pollution, land
degradation, wetland degradation and oil spills. On the contrary, the country
boasts of the fifteenth largest world economy, implying they have the means and
ability to sustain the nation. Shasta Darlington, a CNN news writer, reported
on December the previous year, that the Brazilian senate passed an Amazon
deforestation code. The bill was stated as “controversial” because of the
particulars and specifications that was approved.
Senators
voted 59 to 7, approving the legislation after a long debate, stated by Darlington.
The bill is supported by ranchers and farmers but opposed by environmentalists.
“The bill reduces the percentage of land that farmers
and ranchers must maintain as forest when they develop it. It also establishes
an amnesty for some past illegal deforestation.” Darlington further included in
her report. Amnesty for past illegal deforestation? Relatively and
substantially implying that past illegal crimes have been somewhat forgiven or
forgotten. The theory and line of reasoning Senator Jorge Viana said in a
statement "Brazil has to take care of the environment, but at the same
time it also has a responsibility to feed the world." Brazil is the number
1 export of beef and second biggest soy exporter to the world. Yes, perhaps
Brazil plays a vital role in the exports of the food industry, but should the
environment suffer from this? Should the environment take a step down to let
the food industry grow and boom?
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| Brazil’s Senate voted in favor of the new Forest Code |
The final
verdict will lie heavily on the President, Dilma Rouseff. Challenging as it is,
the president has heavily favored development initiatives in the region, but
also must appease or pacify the left wing environmentalists in her coalition. A
tough choice entrusted upon a person with so much power and ability to change. As
a citizen, all we can do is hope for the best in the decisions higher-ranked
officials make and hope they do not conceal themselves in less substantial issues,
or probably finalize with justifiable and tenable vindications for the common
good.
- Adrian M. Francisco
Germany and Norway pledge $1.5 billion to fight deforestation on eve of conference
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| An illegally burnt deforested area is seen next to a still virgin forest |
Two years ago, in the month of May, two European countries,
namely Germany and Norway pledged to an amount of 1.5 billion to fight
deforestation on the eve of a conference in Oslo, Norway. Norway’s prime
minister explained in the reported article that he wanted to create an
organization or an international agency that would be able to monitor and
finance forests all over the world. Robert Wielaard stated that the program
will be called REDD Plus or Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and
Degradation. Reports have been made that the two countries mentioned earlier
are among the biggest contributors to global warming because of the release of
carbon dioxide in the course of burning forests.
In the
conference, Germany has agreed to 500 million, which brought the funding of the
REDD program to 4 million so far, according to Wielaard. The world’s four
largest carbon emitters include the US, China, Brazil and Indonesia. The prime
minister of Norway, Jens Stoltenberg, also citied Norway would be contributing
another 1 billion to Indonesia, to help fight deforestation there. In this
sense, Stoltenberg hopes that other delegates would follow and push the REDD
program forward even if the contribution to Indonesia is not a part of the
program. Head of U.S. Conservation Group Mark Tercek stated that there is no
“official target” on the expected revenue but Brazilian Environmental Minister
Carlos Minc predicted the program to generate about 6 billion.
Deforestation
is thought to account to up to 20 percent of the world’s total carbon dioxide
emission that leads to global warming. This is equivalent to the emission of
all the cars, trucks, ships, and planes in the world combined. So perhaps an
effort like this would and should be taken into notice and should be “fought”
against. Perhaps, the move made by Norwegian Prime Minister Stoltenberg should
only be the beginning. The financing negotiations between Norway and Indonesia
in helping fight against deforestation will be made through a pay-per-result
system, paying Indonesia a fixed sum per ton of carbon dioxide reduced due to
forest preservation. As Stoltenberg stated, this system encourages
accountability. A theory I would accede to. This system will allow abridging of
misuse of the financial assistance given, utilizing the aid to its fullest.
Together with the United
Nations, the European Union, and other organizations all over the world are
looking to cut and reduce the exudation of carbon dioxide, fighting
deforestation and looking to educate inhabitants that rely on the forests to
live off them in a sufficient and sustainable manner. Greenpeace, stated by
Wielaard, urged the European Union governments on deeper emission cuts and that
should be only the first of many, to reduce at least 40 percent of the
emissions in industrialized countries under the global climate agreement. And
it should. Officials of the wealthier nations, together with Unions and
organizations should moil to a common ambition and intention. Hopes are still
high in the preservation of forests and cutting of unwanted emissions linked to
global warming but we must all do our share and contribute to move forward.
- Adrian M. Francisco
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