Should Rainforests Be Globally Protected Ecosystems?
Rain forests covered over 14% of the Earth a mere 200 years ago. Today the number is closer to 6%. Some people believe that the remaining acreage will be destroyed by 2050, while other believe it will be much sooner. However, regardless of these pessimistic time-lines to destruction, we should be asking a very serious question: Should rain forests be designated globally protected ecosystems?
Naturally, such an open-ended question raises just as many questions as it does answers. Would natural rain forests be protected while the tropical hardwood plantations are left free for commercial use? Would wild rainforests need to be partially restored to their once majestic sizes? Would nations who carelessly gutted these fragile ecosystems be forced to give up the poor-performing farmland they annexed to restore the land as it once was? Who should foot the bill for this?
Historical Clear Cutting
The United States faced a crisis about a century ago in its forest industry. Logging companies of the day had employed a “Cut-Out and Get-Out” approach, stripping trees and leaving huge swaths of denuded land in its wake. Like many organizations of the day, they truly believed that the North American forests were inexhaustible. However, a man by the name of Gifford Pinchot knew otherwise and wanted to change these destructive habits in favour of something a little more sustainable.
His first goal was to get some solid evidence for proper forest management. The best place in the world to learn this essential skill was Germany, who had possessed a much smaller land area than the United States, and had been using its forest resources for a much longer period of time. With so much of the seemingly endless German black forests still intact and healthy, this seemed the perfect place to study.
Shortly after returning to the U.S., President Roosevelt had created the National Forest Service and, because of his in-depth knowledge of sustainable forestation practices, Pinchot was appointed to head the fledgling organization. Because of his tireless efforts, there is even a national forest named after him in Washington State.
The World Needs A Forest Service
The great tropical rain forests of the world are now facing this very same issue. Brazil’s Amazon has been afforded the most publicity regarding the matter, but the very same thing can be found across the planet. Unfortunately, there is no Roosevelt or unified government body that can step in to save the day and lead nations to more sustainable solutions to fulfill their economic needs. But do we need to keep making the same mistakes?
Many seem to feel that the solution to this issue is a very black and white matter, with absolute preservation and restoration of the rain forests being an absolute must. Considering how much carbon these lush havens of exotic flora and fauna tend to (temporarily) scrub from the atmosphere, it’s hard to be against this idea. Healthy forests are also great watershed preserves and work to protect the groundwater supply. Of course, there is also the argument for biodiversity reserves, where the often rare species of plants, animals and insects are left in their natural state for future study.
That said, it’s clear that the nations with the most rain forests have financially stable economies that do not rely on the destruction or “processing” of the wild forests. Brunei is just one example of a nation that has been able to keep approximately 90% of its rain forest intact by focusing more on extracting the dirtier and more profitable crude oil out of the ocean. Naturally, as these various carbon-based fuels begin to dwindle, the nation will be forced to change their economic staple, but the fact of the matter remains that there are options to reducing huge swaths of land to semi-sustainable farmland or worse … suburbs.
Singapore, on the other hand, has lost most of its great rain forest. Their economy has a strong focus on global commerce, and they have one of the busiest ports in the world. The government has set aside preserves in the interior of the nation that are completely protected from exploitation, but this is only due to Singapore’s no-nonsense government and their existing economic escapades.
Wood: The Timeless Commodity
So what does this mean for the majority of the world’s rain forests? Wood is a valuable commodity in the global market, and will continue to be so long as there is construction, furniture, paper and various tools and collectables. Many tropical hardwoods such as mahogany, ebony and teak are especially prized for their beauty and durability. Specialized woods such as balsa also play a role that cannot otherwise be done with synthetics.
The biggest problem with cutting down the rain forest isn’t just the denuding of real estate, though. It’s the lack of re-planting. Instead of building sustainable forest plantations capable of providing wood for an eternity (by human standards), the naked land is often abandoned, left to erode, given to farmers or otherwise left for cattle to graze on. Although this sounds as though effective ways to make use of the land, these practices are often mismanaged and result in ruin. That said, we cannot put all of the blame on these smaller nations, as the food raised on these deforested patches of land is often sold to the wealthier nations. So long as wealthy nations continue to consume large quantities of imported grains and meats, deforestation will continue.
Sustainable forestry is possible in the rain forest regions, just as it is in North America. Scientists are even working on ways to manage these incredibly diverse ecosystems in new and sustainable ways. As Gifford Pinchot understood nearly a century ago, scientific forestry must replace haphazard and short-sighted practices. However, in order for this to work, the governments of these nations must see that it’s to their advantage to adopt these sustainable policies.
Trace the money and you get to the source of the destruction. The word, and in particular, the U.S., needs to get mature. Fast! Wonton destruction of our rainforests is just such an antiquated notion. It’s like cutting out one’s own heart for profit.
Declining from the presumptuous position that the small voice of North America will have any effect in a world of giants like China, Iran, Israel, India, and Russia, (after all, we are broke, they are not), We need to introspect and rid ourselves of rogue, predator capitalists that will fill their pockets and run, every chance they get, ruining our forests. We can no longer dictate right and wrong to the world. We have converted Canada’s forests into unpaid for, uninhabited, McMansions, to turn a fast buck. We consume most of the world’s oil propelling ourselves down poor highways in unpaid for SUVs burning gas we can’t afford. We are not in a position to tell anyone else how to behave, rather, we should expect to be told,and soon!