Deforestation and the Effects on the Environment with Philosophical Theoretical Issues - Case Study Example

?Running Head: Deforestation Deforestation Lecturer: Introduction The behavior of human beings in their interactions and utilization of the natural effects have an impact on the physical environment. Regardless of the magnitude of the influence, the bottom line is that the human race holds the key to environmental sustainability (Holmberg, 1992). Most micro-level activities are regarded as being insignificant to the overall environmental degradation but analysts have shown that the smallest activity can have as large an impact as the national economic structures as well as the social structures at force internationally. The specific social changes that are responsible for most of the environmental degradation are linked with rapid population growth, the proliferation of national and international trade leading to opening up of more markets due to increased demand and hunger for profits and major changes in land tenure systems that lead to the concentration of land. Traditional mechanisms were aimed at sustainable use of the environment. Since the days of the early man, nature was what guided man (Dharam, 1994). In fact, for the first civilization to exist, they had to adapt to the environment. Much has changed since those days as today, the reverse is true. Human beings no longer seek to adapt to the environment but rather seek for the environment to adapt to their needs. The insatiable need for energy has led to massive deforestation, mining and the use of unclean energy sources. These facts have led to the current infamous conditions generally referred to as global warming that is accelerated by the emission of greenhouse gases into the environment (Gardiner, 2004). The trend does not seem reversible in the near future as there are very few viable alternatives to those causing harm to the environment and which humans can harness to the same magnitude as the unclean sources. The hunger for more energy is not the sole cause of environmental degradation. On the contrary, social inequalities on the lines of influence, material wealth and gender have been mentioned as part of the contributors to this dangerous trend. Environmental deterioration is not a light matter. In fact, there are numerous numbers of people who bear the blunt for the damage done to the environment. These effects may be manifested in the health, livelihood and well-being of the victims. Pollution and natural resource depletion can be in terms of soil erosion which robs the soil of its mineral contents and renders it infertile hence unable to sustain plants, deforestation which entails the cutting down of the very vegetation that is responsible for the purification of air and formation of rainfall and the depletion of both plant and animal species which inadvertently occasions an imbalance in different ecosystems (Munasinghe, 1993). When these occurrences happen, people are forced to change their ways in a bid to adapting to the new conditions. Consumption and production patterns are affected. The changes that lead people to change their income generating activities, to migrate and reorganize their entire livelihoods ultimately lead to the change in social structures (Vivian & Ghimire, 1990). The transformations usually have a ripple effect on other societies and the result is that more pressure is put on the existing natural resources. For example, a family that is dependent on electrical energy for their domestic usage in rural areas and who experience a dip in their disposable income will be forced to result to more economic sources of energy. This might lead them to adopt firewood and coal as their primary source of fuel. Naturally, these alternatives are part of the environment and as such, more pressure on the already dwindling natural resources. Discussion Many people simply refer to deforestation as the depletion of forests. The Food and Agriculture Organization which is a department of the United Nations refers to deforestation as “complete clearing of tree formations (closed or open) and their replacement by non-forest land uses.” The removal of non-forest plant associations is therefore not considered in this definition. Excessive logging, gathering of wood for both commercial and domestic purposes, fires and grazing of animals that does not result in the complete conversion of former forest land into other uses is not envisaged in this definition too. Other schools of thoughts that have their backing in research argue that deforestation is the overall degradation of ecosystems in forests that include species of wildlife dependent on the forest, gene pools, stocks of biomass and the climate. The rate of deforestation is not definite and varies depending on the organization giving the statistics. However, the one definite fact is that the trend is fast causing irreversible damage to the environment and in turn the livelihoods of many humans. Most natural forests have been destroyed in many countries. The greatest damage to forests has occurred in developing countries where experts predict that tropical forests will have been wiped out in the next quarter of a century if no interventions are made (Tham, 1992). Deforestation is closely linked to desertification and it is reported that deserts are spreading rapidly in the world due to land use changes. Technology was looked upon as the answer to all of human kind?s problems. Traditional ways of land utilization were shunned as people resulted into modern ways of conducting business. These ways were also regarded as being backward and inferior to the new ways. The desire to rationalize science is perhaps the reason why deforestation is a major issue in the society today. In the eyes of those who are either consciously or unconsciously guilty of the degradation of the environment, a living must be eked. There are many justifications that are given for deforestation. Population growth has left a need for more accommodation and as such, cheap resources must be utilized considering the gap between the rich and the poor (Joekes et al. 1994). Since the days of early civilizations, the cheapest ways of constructing structures was by timber. Therefore, trees must suffer in order for majority of the world?s population to satisfy one of the basic needs; shelter. Unless there is a shift in the normal practices of human societies, the use of timber for construction will not cease. In some societies, especially in Africa, trees are not held in high regard. The practice of planting them is not existent as they are regarded as being a resource that needs utilization. Population growth seems to be the major drive towards environmental degradation. As discussed above, shelter is a basic need that is often satisfied by cutting of trees for timber. Using the same justification, the increase in population also leads to need for more food. In a bid to increasing the acreage of land being cultivated, forests have to give way to fertile land for cultivation. This fact fits well with the definition of deforestation given by FAO. The complete conversion of forest land into farm land leads to a reversal in the usage of land. Forest cover is sacrificed for the sake of human “survival.” Research has shown that the very survival of human beings is pegged on the existence of trees. This reasoning is not however common among farming societies since awareness on the importance of forests is not something that most governments have endeavored to create (Sachs, 1993). Perhaps, most governments do have more pressing matters what with the economic downturn and civil arrest that is rapidly spreading especially within Middle Eastern countries, which have put pressure on the prices of fuel. The justification of deforestation might be expressed in the desire for societies to eke a living. In most cases, trees that are regarded as having no economic value are cut down and those that have value are planted. Most indigenous tree species are faced with the possibility of extinction as they are not highly regarded (Colchester, 1994). In their place, people are planting trees that can be utilized in a variety of ways. For example, most developing countries are planting the eucalyptus trees in place of the indigenous species which has been termed as a contributor to desertification (Leach & Robin, 1991). The growth of indigenous species is usually congruent with the climate of the regions they exist. Therefore, the removal of those species that complement the climatic condition of a given area not only leads to the interference of the ecosystem in that region but also disrupts the climate. It has been indicated by research that trees usually arrest winds and also aid in the making of rainfall. Therefore, the destruction of indigenous species in favor of economically profitable species is a negative move however informed the decision makers might be. The environment must regenerate for it to sustain life. The fact that the livelihood of many species of plants and animals including human beings is dependent on nature and in particular forests indicates that the resource must be well guarded for the survival of future generations (Wolfe, 1980). Social insurance and the equality of members of the society is a fact that should be assured. Destruction of forests is therefore a hindrance to the realization of that goal. In other terms, the degradation of the environment can be regarded as being a reversal to the developments that man has had in the course of his existence. Destruction of forests can be equated to the destruction of animal, plant and human species. Morality?s interests lie with what is best not only for humans, animal and plants but also for the society in general. Therefore, the destruction of the environment does not have a viable moral justification regardless of the angle form which one is looking it from. The reduction or disappearance of civilizations in history like those of pre-Columbian Central America and to some extent those of ancient Greece has been hypothesized as being a result of the destruction of the environment (Vivian & Ghimire, 1990). During these eras, the society had a desire to construct more shelter and sentry points for security which led them to deforest large areas. This mismanagement of the natural resources led to droughts and in turn the wiping of entire populations formerly dependent on agriculture. This is in no part an indication that traditional societies were wasteful and reckless in the utilization of natural resources. In fact, they are just isolated examples of mistakes that have been done in the past. Traditionally, human beings depended on the natural cycle of things like rainfall and could plan their activities bearing that in mind. Modern societies however have modified the traditional species of plants and animals to be more disease and drought resistant and also have lesser growth spans. They have also modified the climate to some extent by construction of greenhouses and irrigation. This is an indication that instead of humans adapting to the environment, they now seek for the adaptation of the environment to their living conditions. Trees, that are the major components in the term forest, have a very crucial part to play in the environment. The reverse cycle where they utilize carbon dioxide exhaled by animals or emitted in factories and in turn release oxygen is one of the most important functions. Areas that do not have sufficient vegetation cover have been noted as being uninhabitable due to many complications arising from the unclean air present. Many children who are born in such areas usually have deformities either internally of external leading to a number of complications. Morally, the cutting of trees can be termed as a contributor to such an end. There is need for the forests to be cared for. The justification is that we have an obligation to protect future generations as the past ones have done for us. Recently, the campaign against global warming has intensified a move that has been necessitated by the melting of polar icecaps, change in climate and spread of deserts. The major contributor to this is the emission of greenhouse gases that have a destructive effect on the environment in general. Excessive logging, for example in the Amazon, one of the largest forests in the world has led to a change in the climate in the Americas (Utting, 1993). Therefore, those that are involved in the practice can be said as doing a disservice to the future generations a move that is morally wrong. Conclusion Rapid population growth is a cause for alarm as the growth in number requires additional shelter as well as food to sustain. Considering the cost of the alternative raw materials to timber that are used in construction one can easily find justification for the use of timber as a need exists and the cheapest way of fulfilling that need might be the best result for many people. Feeding such a large number of people also requires additional land for cultivation (World Bank, 1992). The existence of trees, in some societies, is evidence that the land they sit on is fertile and viable for cultivation. As such many trees are cut to give way to farm land. However, weighing the importance of trees, the effect that destruction of trees has on plants, animals and human beings and the benefits gained from deforestation one can make an informed conclusion. The practice leads to destruction of livelihoods and has been documented as having contributed to the disappearance of civilizations in the past. As such, such a practice with those negative effects can be regarded as being morally wrong. There is therefore no justification whatsoever for the practice however many benefits accrue from it. References Colchester, M., (1994) Salvaging Nature: Indigenous Peoples, Protected Areas and Biodiversity Conservation. Discussion Paper No. 55, UNRISD. Geneva Dharam, G., (1994) Development and Environment: Sustaining People and Nature. London: Blackwell Publishers Gardiner, S., (2004) “The Global Warming Tragedy and the Dangerous Illusion of the Kyoto Protocol,” Ethics and International Affairs 18(1): 23–41. Holmberg, J., (ed.) (1992) Policies for a Small Planet from the International Institute for Environment and Development. London: Earthscan Joekes, S., et al. (1994) Gender, Environment and Population., in Dharam Ghai (ed.), Development and Environment: Sustaining People and Nature. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers Leach, M. & Robin, M., (1991) Poverty and Environment in Developing Countries. An Overview Study, report to the Economic and Social Research Council and the Overseas Development Administration, Institute of Development Studies. Brighton Munasinghe, M., (1993) “The economist’s approach to sustainable development”. Finance and Development, Vol. 30 (4), pp. 16-19. Sachs, W., (1993) Global Ecology: A New Arena of Political Conflict. 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