A Way to Fix It

In response to my teammates' posts, I will be giving reasons for saving the rain forests as well as solutions to some of the problems posed by deforestation.

Carbon. One of the elements that scares humankind the most because of role in heating out planet. This element and the heating of the planet however, could be the incentive stop deforestation. With scientists estimating numbers as high as 20% of greenhouse gas emission being due to deforestation, it becomes rather obvious that this practice is not only destroying different species of animals, but could also be the destruction of humankind itself. More reasons why deforestation should be evaluated lie in the natural, medical benefits found in rain forests. Rain forests have produced most of the fruits and nuts that we eat, as well as the plant periwinkle, from which Vincristine (a major component used to fight leukemia) is extracted. In fact most of the drugs used in pharmacies in the western world were first found in rain forests instead of developed in a lab. With the destruction of rain forests, we destroy many possible remedies for various viruses, infections, forms of cancer, and even AIDS. We will be handicapping ourselves if we continue to destroy rain forests blindly without acknowledging the benefits their existence has brought us. The simple fact is that rain forests are of much more use to us standing than as timber. As my teammate said before, experts have estimated that harvesting the goods inside the rain forests as if they were crops, would be more profitable than cutting them down. The rain forests are one of our few remaining resources that would allow us to self-sufficient.

Many different solutions have been proposed, but the most realistic it seems, is to simply raise the prices of the materials that the rain forest is being stripped of. Timber, oils, etc... Since the forests are being used as production factories instead of a natural element of environmental balance, business prospects can be used to counter the destruction. Perhaps with higher prices in place, companies will be more cautious about their uses of the rain forest. Within their processes of reevaluation, the benefits of a living forest may become apparent to them.



Sources:

Suzuki, David, and Faisal Moola. "World turns to growing alternatives to deforestation of the rainforest." www.straight.com. Vancouver Free Press, 17 jun 2008. Web. 26 Apr 2011. <http://www.straight.com/article-150101/world-turns-growing-alternatives-deforestation-rainforest>.

http://www.rain-tree.com/facts.htm