Deforestation of The Amazon Rainforest

958 Words2 Pages

Brazil holds the global warming issue in the palms of its hands and the government of the world’s fifth-largest economy doesn’t seem to care. A recent article featured on usatoday.com states that the destruction of the Amazon rainforest rose 28% from August 2012 to July 2013 after 4 straight years of decline (Sibaja, 2013). I’m sure this may surprise some people because of the widespread concern of global warming and the affect it may have on future generations, but I don’t think the Brazilian government cares or is going to care unless another global superpower (France, Germany, China, United Kingdom, or the United States) presents some form of regulation and oversight to minimalize the emission of carbon dioxide.
Photosynthesis and carbon dioxide go hand-in-hand. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines photosynthesis as the process by which a green plant turns water and carbon dioxide into food when the plant is exposed to light. The Amazon basin contains the world’s largest rainforest with approximately 3.4 million square miles covered in forest and vegetation. To put that amount of land into perspective, it’s the size of all of Western Europe with room to spare (Global Issues, 2013). With the increase of deforestation in the Amazon comes the increase of carbon dioxide. Once trees are cut down or die, they release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and could become an accelerant of global warming.
Since the 1970’s, cattle ranching has been the primary cause of deforestation as Brazil has turned to beef to grow its economy. The Brazilian real became significantly devalued against the American dollar thus causing beef to double in value. This increase in value led cattle ranchers to expand their pastures at the expense of the r...

... middle of paper ...

... have to realize is that their actions, or lack thereof, could have a devastating impact. Loss of the ozone layer due to global warming equals the loss of life.

Works Cited

Amazon Destruction: Why is the rainforest being destroyed in Brazil? (n.d.). Retrieved from Mongabay.com: http://rainforests.mongabay.com/amazon/amazon_destruction.html
"Brazil: Amazon Rain Forest Destruction and Reforestation Policies." Global Issues in Context Online Collection. Detroit: Gale, 2013. Global Issues In Context. Web. 3 Dec. 2013.
Sibaja, M. (2013, November 14). Destruction of Brazil's Amazon jumps 28%. Retrieved from usatoday.com: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/11/14/brazil-amazon-destruction/3541703/
Wallace, S. (n.d.). Farming the Amazon. Retrieved from nationalgeographic.com: http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/habitats/last-of-amazon/#page=1

Open Document