Rendering: 'How to Save Tropical Rainforests'

The article ‘How to Save Tropical Rainforests’ was published by Rhett Butler on July 22 in Mongabai.com. It reports at length about the ways for saving tropical rainforests.

   Speaking of the global situation, it’s necessary to note that today tropical rainforests are disappearing from the face of the earth, and rainforests continue to be destroyed at a pace exceeding 80,000 acres (32,000 hectares) per day. It’s an open secret that deforestation of tropical rainforests has a global impact through species extinction, the loss of important ecosystem services and renewable resources, and the reduction of carbon sinks. However, this destruction can be slowed, stopped, and in some cases even reversed. It’s necessary to note that but the means are not as simple as fortifying fences around the remaining rainforests or banning the timber trade.

    Before looking for the solution, it’s important to point out the reasons of deforestation, as rainforests are being cut mostly for economic reasons, though there are political and social motivations as well. A significant portion of deforestation is caused by poor farmers simply trying to eke out a living on marginal lands. Beyond conversion for subsistence agriculture, activities like logging, clearing for cattle pasture and commercial agriculture are sizable contributors to deforestation on a global scale. Agricultural fires typically used for land-clearing often spread outside cultivated areas and into degraded rainforest regions. Speaking of the solution, it’ necessary to note that the solution must be based on what is feasible, not overly idealistic, and depends on developing a conservation approach built on the principle of sustainable use and development of rainforests.

    Analyzing the situation in looking for the solution, it’s necessary to emphasize that there are several ways for saving rain forests, and the author stresses the importance of following: first of all, we must increase and sustain the productivity of farms, pastures, plantations, and scrub land in addition to restoring species and ecosystems to degraded habitats. By reducing wasteful land-use practices, consolidating gains on existing cleared lands, and improving already developed lands, we can diminish the need to clear additional forest.

 Then it’s payments for ecosystem services, as people will soon pay for the services provided by healthy rainforests. This idea operates as follows: tropical countries receive payments for reducing deforestation and forest degradation rates below a historic, mutually agreed-upon baseline. The payments go toward activities that reduce deforestation, whether its creating alternative livelihoods to slash-and-burn agriculture, subsidizing industrial agricultural expansion on degraded grasslands instead of forests, or providing health care to communities that normally depend on illegal logging to pay for medicine.

 The third way is commodity roundtables, the idea of which is that agricultural producers who abide by certain standards that reduce carbon emissions — like avoiding deforestation — would see higher prices for their products or receive preferential market access, like reduced tariffs.

 The fourth way, mentioned by the author, is corporate sponsorship, which consists in dividing tropical rainforests into blocks and then soliciting funding commitments from international environmental groups, development institutions, corporations, and other credible donors. There would be a bidding process, after which an entity would take responsibility for maintaining forest cover and forest health in each block of the entire forest system.

 Analyzing the following steps for stopping deforestation, it’s necessary to emphasize that the author mentions such steps as: expand protected areas, increase surveillance of and patrols in protected areas and encouraging entrepreneurship.

   In conclusion the author makes it clear that simply banning the timber trade or establishing reserves will not be enough to salvage the world's remaining tropical rainforests. In order for the forest to be preserved, the underlying social, economic, and political reasons for deforestation must be recognized and addressed. Once the issues are brought into the light, the decision can be made about what should be done. If it is decided that rainforests must be saved, then the creation of multi-use reserves that promote sustainable development and education of local people would be a good place to start.

I think that forests’ protection is one of the most important issues (along with limiting of air, water and soil pollution), as forests are the source of our life, in addition, they play an important role for the environment. They help to support the soil and prevent erosion and siltation, forests also absorb carbon dioxide from the air we breathe and release oxygen. The tree is the symbol of the living nature, which reminds us of the importance of preservation of the environment, that’s, humanity is obliged to stop deforestation.