TC Ching Essay: The Decline of Hawaiian Forests A serious problem that affects Hawaii today is the decline of natural forests due to the importing of invasive species and widespread deforestation. Majority of Hawaii’s natural forest have depleted and what is left is either being used for housing and farming, or preserved by the state. Little has been done to combat this besides the 1% of State funding that’s being used to run preservation systems. If the problem were to go unsolved for fifty more years there wouldn’t be anymore “paradise” left. The forests are a major tourist destination which brings in a large amount of money for the Hawaiian economy. The decline in forestry result in the decline of tourism creates social and economic instability. Another problem that would arise is the extinction of hundreds of native species found in Hawaii. So far over fifty percent of native species have gone extinct due to the introduction of invasive foreign species such as pigs, rats, invasive birds, mosquitoes, animal borne diseases, small insects, and many more. This has already caused a large scale disruption in the Hawaiian ecosystem, effecting the trees and native plants. If it were to continue Hawaii would have no foods to export, a major decline in tourism, and an environmental …show more content…
I propose that that the State of Hawaii includes other conservation organizations, rather than just the 10 we have now. The State should also have stricter laws as to who is able to access preservation cites and when. Many invasive species are brought in by foot and by shipment. Transportation vessels must be check thoroughly if they were brought in by ships. If that will take too long than we should create new containment vessels that are able to deflect and eliminate invasive insects from getting inside. Those are just a few small solutions for a big
The most destructive problem that occurred a hundred years ago and is still practiced is that of tavy. Tavy is a process of forest clearing, also known as slash and burn. Humans living on the island use this system to create farmland for harvesting their most precious crops. What they do is they cut down all trees and or shrubs then set fire to the area of land that they want to farm. They use the burnt materials as fertilizers and then plant their crop. Next season the farmer must move to another area and continue to burn more of the forest down. Due to this form of farming, humans have turned vast wetlands into deserts and luscious forests into tundra. In the...
Tongass National Forest like many other forest are natural sinks of carbon dioxide, produce fresh oxygen, regulate temperature and rainfall. On November 12, the Alaska National Interest Land Conservation Act was passed by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Jimmy carter. This federal law provided special protection to over 157,000,000 acres of land, including national forests. As agreeing with the law, it is morally wrong because by clear cutting Tongass National Forest, we are destroying the habitat of many animals and plants and causing them to extinct. Not only for some economic benefits, we should protect our environment for our own sake because we are slowly polluting our environment, which will leave our future generations with serious health problems. Because of the numerous negative effects of clearcutting, many people should be concerned and find environmentally sustainable alternatives like selective
Global warming has some very potential impact on Hawaii’s environment, health, economy and natural resources. With the environment if the sea level raises our reefs are at risk. With out our reefs our beaches have no protection against the pounding waves. Also it hurts the reef cause if the water rises that means the sun needs to get through more water, which means the reef wont get as much sunlight for them to survive. With economy global warming poses a big threat on it. With the reefs being exposed to less sunlight and letting the waves pound our beaches, it threatens our economy because our state makes its profit off of tourism. Which means if our beaches start to go away then the tourism will start to decrease and less money will be coming in to the state. Along with this the fish that live around the reef may start to die off cause the reef isn’t doing good so the life around will react the same way. Reef fish population will start to drop until they adapt and hopefully the reef can too.
Ancient Hawaii, an old civilization. This has shaped modern Hawaii and our lives. From its climate, politics, education, religion, art and architecture, technology, economics, and social live. The ancient Hawaiians are fascinating.
It has been in business since it was a grass shack in 1846. The desire to study the earth forms the park's main theme, coming close behind is biology. Thousands of unique organisms have gradually isolated Hawaiian islands. These are reminders of Polynesian pioneers who directed their great hulled canoes to Hawaii about 1,500 years ago. With the lava flowing at a rate of 800 to 1,300 gallons per second from vents on the east side zone of Kilauea, more than 500 acres of new land have been added to the island since 1938.
While walking down the beach, the white, warm sand mushes between your toes. The sun’s radiant rays beam off your glowing skin. The sound of waves crashing blocks out the external world. There is no other place like the gorgeous tropical islands of Hawaii. The wide range of flowers, cuisine, and wildlife makes it one of the most diverse places on Earth; however, the unappealing aspects Hawaii makes it one of the most dangerous in the world.
“The Earth is 4.6 billion years old. Scaling to 46 years, human have been here 4 hours, the industrial revolution began 1 minute ago, and in that time, we’ve destroyed more than half the world’s forests.” - Unknown. One major environmental problem in our world is deforestation - what is that, you ask? According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, deforestation is the action or process of clearing of forests. Some consequences of this include a large contribution to global warming and climate change (about 1.5 billion tons of carbon dioxide each year), loss of biodiversity especially in tropical rainforests, and the extinction of many known or yet to be discovered species. But, through some Debt-for-Nature Swaps, leaving forests
Aloha from the people of Hawaii and their culture! Have you ever wanted to visit Hawaii for fun activities, or to enjoy the amazing sights? Well, then Hawaii is a great travel destination! However, if you were to visit the islands, it would be great to learn a little about its people and culture! Luckily that’s exactly what we are going to talk about, so you can get to know the people of these magnificent islands a bit better. The culture of the native Hawaiian people is very colorful and unique because of its cuisine, hula dances, and religion.
First of all I would have to say that yes it has a great impact on our global warming and I will go on to explain to you how it affects our planet. We as a whole have let the dollar get in the way of how our planet is affected, some would say at all costs. It is true we have refineries, car pollution, but most of all deforestation of tropical areas. In the National Geographic Magazine you will come to see and appreciate the facts of how deforestation has affected our nation and has spiraled into global warming. We can look at Brazil’s rainforest that is estimated to be larger than two hundred football fields it will be destroyed before you are even able to read the article at hand (Magazine, 1996-2014). It has been noted that within the past 40 years we have managed to do more damage than what was done in the four hundred and fifty (450) years since the European Colonization even began. That sent chills through my bones when I read that, imagine how much tropical areas have been affected. We have destroyed twen...
...hich is an issue that simply cannot be ignored, due to the implications it has on our atmosphere. Our trees must be preserved as they are humanities biggest ally in the fight against the greenhouse effect, and if we continue to cut these trees down at rates faster than they can recover, the end for humanity as we know will be sooner rather than later. If deforestation is limited it will also limit the loss of biodiversity, which is an integral aspect to future survival.
All over the world indigenous communities are faced with an array of new problems, though the public continues to gain insight into the lives of these people they continue to be marginalized in the global arena as well. The Pacific Islands are an entity far removed from the minds of most westerners. The primary focus of any political discourse within the United States places most emphasis on Australia and New Zealand ignoring the smaller less politically salient states. However, it is these smaller islands that will bare the brunt of one huge problem in the future, global warming. For the purpose of this paper I will ignore the polemics of global warming and not hypothesize whether or not it actually has any permanent adverse effects on the ecosystems of the world or whether or not it is cyclical. Instead, I will focus on the evidence already documented within the Pacific Island states, evidence which lends strong support to the notion that the earth is getting warmer and the oceans are rising. For the people of the lowland Pacific Islands it doesn’t matter if the current warming is a temporary trend that will reverse itself in a few centuries, they will have to deal with it on a much more short-term basis. The ocean has already begun to change and for the people of the Pacific Islands that is a major concern, it could be catastrophic if left unattended. The prospect of rising waters in the oceans has a transcendent effect on the Pacific Islands. Not only will the oceans rise and the seas become more torrent, their very cultures could be uprooted and their modes of existence forever changed.
Allowing for deforestation by the federal government by such vague laws gradually contributes to global deforestation and a corresponding increase in species extinction. Reforestation, by replanting, is only done on a fraction of the deforested area, and it usually creates a monoculture plantation, with much less biological diversity and less disease resistance than in virgin, or old-growth forest.
One concept that became apparent in this unit was how climate change has had such a dramatic effect on the island of Kiribati and its people. Climate change in Kiribati is allegedly associated with the environmental pollution and chemical by-products of other nations such as Australia, England, China, and the United States. Evidence has been presented showing the Kiribati Island is at risk of vanishing as a result of the monstrous waves in the South Pacific Ocean. However, even though the United States is one of the largest known sources of extreme gas emissions, we cannot only blame it and the other developed countries. We must look also to the government of the Kiribati itself, which has done little to decrease their
Deforestation means to cut down a big amount of trees, which results in damage to the quality of the land. Forests cover 30% of the earth's land, but are lost every year. The rainforest could disappear in about a hundred years because of the existing rate of deforestation.
Deforestation is defined as the clearing of trees, and the absence of a forest. What most people seem to turn a blind eye to the fact that we need these trees and plants not just for our paper, pencils, or even furniture, but something much greater than any of these things put together. Indeed having a low costly grocery store within walking distance is pleasant, but there are negative consequences as well as positive consequences that coincide with the placement of a Wal-Mart in the city of Oviedo. It is understood to many that industrialization as well as being able to finally have a store that does not charge six dollars for orange juice is a blessing. Fretfully, the negative consequences will