Amazon Forever
Nature of
Problem/Issue and Role of NGOs and IGOs
de·struc·tion
–Noun
1. The act of
destroying: wanton destruction of a town.
2. The condition of
being destroyed; demolition; annihilation.
3. A cause or means
of destroying.
The rainforest and the species of animals that live in are being destroyed
at an alarming rate. This is a serious problem that the international community
has to face. Rainforests used to cover
14% of the Earth, now covers about 6% of the Earth’s surface. It is possible
that the remainder of the rainforest will be destroyed in 40 years. The Amazon
Rainforest is partially being destroyed for timber, space, fuel for the
industries of the lesser developed countries, ranching and agriculture. This is
a serious problem because the Amazon Rainforest helps to control global climate
by balancing humidity. The Amazon Rainforest also contributes 25% of the
freshwater that flows into our oceans and 20% of the oxygen that makes up our
atmosphere. By destroying the plants that work to filter the water and create
oxygen, we will cause serious harm to the local and global ecosystems. The U.S.
National Cancer Institute has identified 3000 plants that are active in
fighting cancer cells. 70% of those are found in the rainforest. 25% of the
ingredients in cancer fighting medication come only from the rainforest. This
means that the deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest would seriously hamper
advancements in medical treatment that could come from studying the plants in
the rainforest and their medicinal properties.
The other aspect to the problem is
that the destruction of the Amazon Rainforest will cause thousands of species
of animals to loose their natural habitats. This means that many of the
endangered species that live in the rainforest may become in danger of
extinction. "According to the National Academy of Sciences, a typical four square
mile patch of rainforest contains as many as 125 mammal species, 400 species of
birds, 100 of reptiles, 60 of amphibians, and 150 different species of
butterflies. In one study, one square meter of leaf litter, when analyzed,
turned up 50 species of ants alone."
The
problem with solving these issues is that the Rainforest is NOT the domain of
one state. Rather, the Amazon Rainforest spans the boarders of eight countries.
This means that any action taken to protect the Amazon Rainforest as a whole
must come from the realm of IGOs and NGOs. IGOs and NGOs have multiple methods
for attempting to stop the deforestation and deaths of animals in the
rainforest. They can act as a watchdog group, bringing problems to the mass
media and getting the attention of other people who have the power, resources,
or authority to do something about the problem.
Chico Mendes was a Brazilian rubber tapper, unionist and environmental
activist. He fought to stop deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest. He founded
the National Union of Rubber Tappers in an attempt to save their work and the
forest it depended on. Ranchers opposed to his cause murdered him in 1988. The union would march down logging trails,
disarming guards and trying to persuade the ranchers' employees not to continue
with their work. In many cases, the union members were successful at doing so.
He encouraged the idea of creating forest reserves managed by local communities
that would sustainably harvest resources like rubber and Brazilian nuts. As his
local union progressed with some success, he saw the benefits of uniting all
rubber tappers in Brazil, strenghtening their power against the ranchers. The
union at the national level, National Council of Rubber , educated its members
about the issues of deforestation, cattle ranching, and the threats to their
own lifestyles. The union also caught the attention of the international
environmentalist movement, getting their cause, out of the local and into the
global arena. He chose to align
himself and the union with environmentalism (as opposed to Marxim. Mendes was a
socialist.) After his assasination in 1988, which made international media
headlines, the reserves Mendes has hoped to create were implemented on more
than 8 million acres of forest. A memorial for Chico Mendes stood in Los
Angeles but was contentiously demolished in 1997.
Greenpeace is another organization that is well known for advocating the protection of the rainforest due to it’s numerous benefits to the local and global ecosystem. Greenpeace often engages in peaceful demonstrations, and attempts to block the ability of logging companies to proceed with clear-cutting operations.
Figure 1: Greenpeace using a barge painted with the word "CRIME" to block access to a logging camp
The Nature Conservancy is an organization that tries to leverage the private sector to better take care of the environment. It also gets legislatures to pass policies to protect their environment. Moreover, it raises funds to help spread environmental awareness.
“The
Global Environment Facility (GEF), the World Bank, and the conservation
organization, WWF joined the Brazilian government in supporting a new program
that will triple the amount of the Amazon rainforest under federal protection,
thus assuring the conservation of an area twice as big as the United Kingdom or
almost twice the size of US State Texas, amounting to 12 percent of Brazil’s
total forest area” (World Bank).
The WWF have their hands in the mud.
They are active in the Amazon Rainforest, helping take care of animals there. “The ARPA vision creates a
system of well-managed parks and other protected areas encompassing some
193,000 square miles - an area surpassing in size the entire U.S. National Park
System. The network of parks and reserves is to be based on rigorous scientific
planning and careful public consultation.”
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has a department concerned with forestry around the globe. They encourage nations to employ practices that would allow for logging and extraction of natural resources from forests without causing serious environmental harm to the ecosystem.
Concerning IGOs, not much can be found. IGOs have not until very recently placed the environment highly on their agenda.
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