Should the Rain Forest Destruction Be Prohibited - Research Paper Example

Should the rain forest destruction be prohibited? Introduction: This essay is primarily based on a comprehensive discussion of one of the world’s most hotly debated issue of the present times, which is whether the rain forest destruction should be strictly prohibited or not. Actually, this issue is of huge concern among the environmental scientists because rainforest destruction is potentially capable of disturbing the ecosystem owing to the fact that rainforests are home to many plants and trees that are extremely valuable for positively maintaining the earth’s environmental balance. Research reports suggest that the present condition is so fierce and deplorable that acres of rainforests are getting destroyed on hourly basis around the globe. The notion that rainforest destruction should be restricted or altogether prohibited has both its believers and proponents in competitive ratio. This is also the general consensus as predicted by the scientific reports that with increased globalization adversely affecting the rainforests, global GDP can be significantly reduced because of the loss of long-term income in exchange for transitory economic gains. Major positive and negative aspects of deforestation: It is considered by those favoring deforestation that this activity has phenomenally modernized the civilization by enhancing globalization and opening new horizons of opportunities for people from rural backgrounds. This is unequivocally true that deforestation leads to the conversion of forests into clear lands that can be cultivated for a broad range of agricultural uses. Much of the negativity regarding rainforest destruction relates to illegal timber trade, greed-based agricultural activities, and neglect displayed by the state authorities. This negativity is so excessively potent that it totally outweighs some of the positive aspects of deforestation, with the result that the future of global ecosystems is fraught with risk presently. Given that deforestation exposes the soil to scorching heat and heavy rain, most of the nutrients and other organic materials that make the soil suitable for vegetation and which reside in the upper layers of the soil are first deteriorated by the direct sunlight and later washed away by the rainwater, thus making the soil lose its natural fertility. Increased flooding is also a major drawback of deforestation that results because of the diminished number of trees, which help in absorbing large quantities of water and prevent flooding. Trees are highly capable of keeping the rate of flooding to a level that can be handled appropriately. Critics also relate sedimentation with deforestation, saying that when the topmost fertile layers of the soil are removed by the rainwater, many fisheries and reefs suffer from sedimentation resulting from excessive flooding, thus causing major setbacks to many businesses and destroying the wildlife. Thesis statement: This paper postulates that rainforest destruction is posing major threat to the global ecosystem, wildlife, and many precious plant species that have great medicinal uses. It should be restricted as much as possible for preserving the rights of the indigenous communities, who are deprived of their territories because of deforestation. Minimal advantages offered by rainforest destruction should not be heavily considered, illegal import and export of harvested timber resulting from excessive deforestation should be banned, and government should strictly keep a check on such activities. Medicinal purposes of rainforest plants: This is an acclaimed fact that if the rainforests continue to be destroyed at the present pace, they will be soon extinct in some years. This will not only cause serious problems for the global economy and ecosystems, but also deteriorate the soil fertility without which many crops cannot be cultivated easily. Greeley (18) says, “Many of the medicines that we use are made from plants that grow in the rainforest. If people keep destroying the rainforests, cures for some diseases may never be found.” It is a profound fact that some rainforests like the Amazon rainforest is home to many such plants, with the help of which major diseases like cancer can be cured effectively. The cocoa plant, alone is capable of producing hundreds of chemicals that can be used effectively in treating patients of anxiety, depression, coughs, and lethargy. Even some heart disorders like stroke can be cured with the help of chemicals present in cocoa and they are also known to improve the blood vessel flow, thus reducing the risk of clot formation in coronary arteries. Many pharmaceutical companies around the world rely heavily on the effective chemicals present in the extract of many plants that are only present in the rainforest. Can the rainforest destruction prove to be beneficent for the field of medicine in exchange for short-term economic and agricultural gains? The answer is no. Global warming and soil infertility increase by rainforest depletion: The trees, by improving the environmental conditions and reducing the rate of global warming, readily absorb many of the chemical pollutants and other poisonous gases present in the atmosphere. Greeley (17) says that, “Trees take in carbon dioxide and give off oxygen. Without the trees in the rainforest, there would be less oxygen for us to breathe.” This is a world acclaimed fact that rainforest are justly called the lungs of the earth, since they play a very important role of purifying the air by depleting the atmosphere of the harmful chemical pollutants. Trees absorb and reduce the main greenhouse gas emitted by the industries and cars, which is carbon dioxide. In the present industrial age in which urbanization is growing at a rapid pace, trees are extremely important for absorbing the poisonous gases before they can reach the upper level where they can trap the gases permanently around the earth. How can the believers of rainforest deforestation talk about the benefits related to it, when the global warming is being potentially increased by the rapid depletion of trees? Scientists and environmentalists have successfully managed to find a link between rainforest trees and global warming along with decreased vegetation. Actually, rainforest trees have a canopy-like structure, which allows little chance for sunlight to reach the earth’s surface. With the destruction of such forests, the vegetative growth of the forest floor decreases significantly. Arguments: Arizona’s rainforest is one of the world’s most popular and huge rainforests. Deforestation results in many fallen trees that can be used as lumber and this is such a beneficial natural product that, economic growth largely depends on it. This is also a main source of revenue for developing countries, which have to strive a lot for paying off huge debts. The economical benefits of deforestation are too great to be simply classified as short-term gains. Humans can hugely advantage from rainforests and gain many useful products like timber prepared from tree wood and preparing agricultural land for cultivation purposes, thus gaining huge economic benefits. Many small and unimportant towns have been converted into flourished cities by deforestation, and people are also enjoying myriad employment opportunities by getting jobs in the industries. “In order to supply food for Belem, the forest in the neighborhood of the town was converted into farm land” (Babin 207). So, in an order to accommodate the people in little cities, more farms had to be established to address the basic needs of the people and therefore, the forest in belem was converted into a farmland. Similarly, the area around the Arizona rainforest has widespread poverty and this area can provide homes to millions of homeless people along with employment opportunities for those who harvest timber obtained from wood. Conclusion: Summing up, this much becomes clear from the above discussion that there are myriad reasons of deforestation and some of them are heavily used by the proponents for justification purposes. It is said that progress in both agriculture and urbanization will come to a serious halt if deforestation is prohibited, and believers of rainforest protection say that such rapid deforestation activities can result in a serious decline in biodiversity causing serious issues for the wildlife and nature. The negative environmental aspects related with the rainforest destruction are too significant to be inconspicuous, thereby the states should impose a heavy ban on the rapid rainforest depletion. Works cited: Babin, Didier. Beyond tropical deforestation: from tropical deforestation to forest cover dynamics and forest development. UK: Curran Publishing Services, 2004. Print. Greeley, August. Fading forests: the destruction of our rainforest. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, 2003. Print. Read More