Tropical+Deforestation+in+South+America

[|Tropical Deforestation in South America] The Globe and Mail Inc. Accessed on 2/15/18 (The picture above is from the same website the article is from.)

This article was written by Stephanie Nolen, who used detailed satellite image analyzing and fieldwork that consisted of following the factors and the notable road (called the "Highway of Ambitions" by Nolen) that deforestation spreads out from in South America. Nolen starts off with a bit of historical background info, how deforestation has been a major problem in Brazil for awhile, action has been taken to stop deforestation (such as field agents giving fines, arrests, and equipment destruction to loggers and foresters). However, deforestation still continues. From there, Nolen writes about the conditions at each point in the Highway of Ambitions, as well as interviews and issues going on there.
 * Summary: **

The start of the what would become the Highway of Ambitions, or BR-163, was made back in 1972. At the time, the government viewed the Amazon as a place to exploit resources and conquer as land to claim as their own. This was also reflected in their policy at the time, which in english is translated as "occupy so we don't lose it", an effort t push people towards the forest quickly. This led a huge migration of the poor, increasing current cities who where searching for work. This road today is bordered by fields, mainly consisting of cash crops with trees planted only when necessary (for water source protection or shade). Grain storage facilities with silos and trucks also dotted the sides every so often. Historically, changes to the soy plant adapted to the climate allowed growth of it to sell of as mainly used in animal feed- boosting the economies and development of the land. The forest has been pushed gradually back, until pressure to preserve the rain forest came, with Brazil claiming to try and control the deforestation, with an international find. A key change came from Chico Mendes, who proposed to change Brazil's forest management by satellite images. This would aid police, but also allow controlled development. The plan dropped deforestation by more than half during her term as the environmental minister. However, social and political unstability has led to deforestation rates going back up again, from what is presumed to be the view there will be little punishment for breaking the law. The president Temer, supporter of of rich landowners (from soy farming and ranchers) eased restrictions of many things, including on mining and ranching in the protected forest of Brazil.

From here, an interview with farmer Ferrarin, who believes the government will reward those who protect the forest, voices his view on what he believes the government will do- give rewards to forest protectors. He believes legal deforestation should be allowed, as "agribusiness" is what runs the country. However, Nolen also acknowledges the farming (soy) business may also help the country, with getting large productivity out of the land, and gives farmers incentives to follow the law (by farmers' large investments on their lucrative farms).

The next stop on the Highway of Ambitions leads us to the cattle ranch. Some general background info on the cattle is given, such as cattle are let loose to graze on vegetation with little supervision for weeks on end. The rancher, Mr. Weiss, talks a bit about his life and how he got his land- all legally. However, some inside deals and illegal businesses are noted in ranchers in general, and a specific case from Mr. Weiss himself. He also says the issue of selling animals grown in illegally deforested lands are still selling without trouble.

The next stop has details on the impact gold has on the surge of deforestation. Joining up with a team from ICMBio (Chico Mendes Institute for Conservation of Biodiversity), Nolen travels with the agents on mining busts (like a drug bust, but only with mining that is accomplished by means like deforestation and pollution of waterways to filter out the gold). Detecting an engine by steady hums allowed the team to locate the mining activity and destroyed all of the equipment. One of the team member talks about how mercury is dumped into streams to separate out gold. However, not all mining in Brazil is illegal. There are legal active mines, explored areas or purchased land on a large amount of land, which must be restored after use. However, mining still leaves major lasting effects, such as deforestation. Although today mining is not allowed in protected areas, President Temer has allowed mining in the reserve called RENCA, in the amazon. Although such a proposal was rejected from global backlash, there are still alot of pending requests to allow mining in other areas by lowering protection statuses.

Back to the team from ICMBio, they talk about how only 9 people make up the team, a million per each person. They say the people in the area only see the land as resources to take from. When confronting people about fires in the area, they would all claim to have no idea who owns that land and who made the fire. Even if the team knows who did it, they cannot prove it, as the guilty party with blame someone else, fines are given, but are ignored.

An incentive to stop the land grabbing is not allowing landowners with lots of fines to get access to credit programs. However, such incentive back fires easily as someone else's name can just be put on the property. As Ferreira notes, "If people who break the law ever got punished, it wouldn't just keep happening." The political factor is looked into at the Novo Progresso City Hall. An main issue is a how much land and where is to have its conservation status lowered, a hotly debated topic on both sides. Mr. Dill supports the idea, though environmentalists, believe it would make people think they can just enter the land and claim it for themselves. He also finds the restrictiones nuisances, such as selling off his cattle to another farmer with cattle outside of the protected area, which gets sold off fine. From here, logging is discussed. It is a high yielding business for money, targeting valuable trees for high prices. However, impacts like opening up a road from logging allows hunters and miners to follow along the road. The removal of even a small number of trees has huge impacts on biodiversity and overall forest health. The natural cycles and ecosystem is thrown into disarray. On paper, Brazil has a plan to control illegal logging, as well as the trade of illegally cut wood, but the system is inefficient and corrupted. Forgery, bribes, and lies are easily done to achieve what loggers want to do.

One family was out spoken on the illegal logging, advocating for planting trees which made profits from selling the fruits (caucau and cashews, etc.). The increased interest in their farming style lead to loggers giving death threats and sent gunmen, causing the family to go stop advocating self sufficiency to stay safe. The law will not help, especially against the rich and powerful loggers.

The indigenous people are also affected, having no legal rights to their land, and infrastructure being built in their land despite not being supposed to do. The indigenous people note that first dams where being built, but then loggers, miners, farmers and more started coming in. Only the big and powerful miners will stay and control. The law will not take action against the trespassers.

Higo de Sousa, the top environmental official, was quick to talk about how the stat is trying to control illegal activies. However, Nolen tells him about the circumventing of the system, who only says back that processes they make will have people who find ways around it. Sousa also says the political situation is also controlled by major agricultural producers, the rich.

Towards the end, the Nolen notes since his journey into South America, deforestation rates has grown even more. He notes many want better lives, though power holders in Brazil see the opposite- resource is to be used and sold immediately at max profit.

This is related to our chapter on deforestation, on issues and factors driving deforestation. Wood is used currently for various things, such as paper, fuel-wood, lumber, etc..(644-45) Increased demands for wood worldwide has contributed to deforestation as an incentive.Tropical forests can be monitored be satellite scans and ground surveys, which can tell us large areas are being removed, degraded, and fragmented. Such use of monitoring techniques can be seen in the article, as a way to measure deforestation in Brazil. It also shows us that the tropical forests are being degraded and removed at a fast rate, seen by the time lapse animations and dates given in order. (651) However, we should care about deforestation of tropical forests as they are a major producer of wood, home to alot of species on land, and produces alot of resources many people around the world use (ex. cocoa, spices, coffee, etc.) Should we be able to sustainably harvest such nonwood resources, the revenue from it would be double the wood income and triple the converting of land to grassland for cattle. Tropical rainforests can also be used for other purposes such as medicine. (653) Natives being are also being pushed out and vanishing from deforestation, seen in the article above and case study on cultural extinction in tropical forests (654). Deforestation in the tropics also drive the poverty out to the rainforest, trying to grow food in order to survive, also shown in the article. The article is a real life example of the process of a deforestation a tropical rainforest, where a road starts the process (BR-163 or Highway of Ambition). More areas are accessible, and people (mainly poor) wander along the roads and build homes and plots of land by using the slash and burn technique. Soil is destroyed by being depleted from overfarming and ranchers practicing shifting ranching, moving from one area to another after one area is depleted. Ghost ranching, which is claiming land and selling them off is also relevant to show the tropical rainforest land is an incentive in its own self to get people to move out, claim, sell or use the land for profits. (657-78) All of the factors/incentives to deforest combine together to create alot of deforestation, causing pollution and other side effects as a result.
 * How the article relates to the course: **

I believe that deforestation is a bad thing to do. However, while the actions that causes it may not always be intended to result such negative effects, people need to change the way they achieve their goals, which need to be eco-friendly practices, such as sustainable farming (versus using up the land and leaving) or not dumping mercury in streams to get gold. The majority of practices being used now cause all kinds of pollution in major amounts, such as air pollution from burn and slash, and water pollution from mercury. All of the pollution have effects beyond just South America, as they can contribute to overall global climate change from greenhouse gases emitted in the fumes from burning trees, and harm the environmental and life overall. Brazil needs to reform how it carries out environmental laws to be more strict with more personnel, as well as make stricter laws and fines on the illegal deforestation. Deterrents, as well as incentives such as giving tax breaks or pensions to land restorers and eco-friendly practitioners will also help tremendously. Action to stop deforestation should be done soon and effectively.
 * Your opinion **

International Environmental Protection Act of 1983- allows the president to assist countries in protesting and maintaining wildlife habitat and provides an active role in conservation by the Agency for International Development. It further provides that AID shall use the World Conservation Strategy as an overall guide for actions to conserve biological diversity. Funds are explicitly denied for actions that significantly degrade national parks or sim liar protected areas, or introduces exotic plants or animals into such areas. In the article, Brazil draws from an international fund which in countries including the US providing assistance (World Conservation Strategy) to financially to stop deforestation in Brazil.
 * An environmental law **

Pollution Prevention Act of 1990-Sets standards for pollution levels or limiting emissions or effluents for various classes of pollutants based on current technology. Like Brazil, the US is trying to head towards more sustainable, less wasteful products and processes. Setting the limits to how much part of both of their ideals for being more green.This also fits into the earlier World Conservation Strategy, where the US is also guided to prevent pollution in their area and others.

Resource conservation and Recovery Act of 1976-Congress declares that pollution should be prevented, products recycled, and if neither is feasible it should be taken care of in an environmentally sage manner. US is trying to be more green trying to use green methods, just like Brazil in deforestation methods (be more sustainable). This also fits into the earlier World Conservation Strategy, where the US is also helping Brazil be more green if preventing and recycling is not feasible (by financial aid).