The Amazon Rainforest

1
The Amazon Rainforest

• By Julian Tung
• Eugene Lui

2
Introduction

• What is discussed
• The Amazon Rainforest-destroyed?
• Requiring your concern?
• The real threats to the rainforest
• The effect and impact of the destruction
• Possible remedies to the current situation

3
Amazons History Overview

• 1954,President Vargas employs Export led growth
  and Import substitution Industrialization
• 1970,President Medici proposes opening of Amazon
• 1975 Construction of Transamazon highway
• 1987,Brazil Governments tax incentives begins
  conversion of Rainforest into ranch land
• 1995,Destruction of land reaches new high of an
  
• approximate 30000 km squared/year
• 1999,A new high of 700 fires constantly ravaging
  the Amazons
• 2000,Brazil Government invests 50 billion to
  develop rainforest areas. roads, factories
  etc.
• 2003, International Pressure halt Brazils
  Hydro-Plant
• 2004,Brazil Government invests 5 billion for
  conservational projects.

4
Requiring your concern?

• Although historical background up to date
  suggests that the situation is getting better all
  models still predict the rainforest will be
  completely deteriorated by 2040
• With the Amazons holding 50 of the planets
  rainforest area its priority should be increased
• Brazil government shows trend of acting only
  under pressure and has a low financial capability
  requiring international support

5
Actual Threats to Amazons
6
Timber Logging

• What is it?
• Usually logging for lumber
• Controlled method of opening roads
• Return for opening land for other uses
• Chainsaws/high-tech machinery
• Selective lumbering
• Destruction of neighboring plants

7
Cont.

• The damage
• 30 million cubic meters of timber lost
• 550,000 k? deforested irreversible
• Effects
• Change in forest dynamics
• Loss of habitat -gt species
• Emitted 200mil.tons of greenhouse gases
• Logging industries grow due to Advance schemes
• Roads, highways transportation built

8
Cont.

• Why?
• Profitable due international market
• Multinationals controls over politics/labour
• Land cheap
• Variety of expensive lumber Mahogany,Samauma
• from local effects
• Illegal Logging due to low employment effect
• Large immigration in years, skill-less jobs on
  demand
• Illegal permits/documents easy to obtain
• Low level of control/security large area
• Input/yield threshold crossed

9
Commercial Farming

• What is it?
• Highly productive farming
• Mostly farming for soya, coffee, corn other
  products
• Open up areas by starting fires
• Deteriorating fertile soil quickly
• Area affected by commercial farming doubled

10
Cont.

• The damage
• Effects
• Change in forest dynamics
• Loss of habitat -gt species
• Emitted 200mil.tons of greenhouse gases
• Logging industries grow due to Advance schemes
• Roads, highways transportation built

11
Cont.

• Why?
• Profitable due to 55 increase in in world
  consumption
• Cheap and easy for people/companies to start
• Profitable 3-4 USD per bag
• Pricing of Soya at a new high! coffee
  exploited
• from local effects
• Starting fires as its an easy method to clear
  land
• Heavy usage on chemicals or
• Clear another piece of land

12
Cattle Ranching

• What is it?
• Multinationals Big-Macs? ranches cows there
  commercially
• Clears or sometimes uses cleared land for
  pastures
• Cattle number x2 over 15 yrs.
• Responsible for 70 of Deforestation/Destruction
  of Amazon areas

Food for Thought?
13
Cont.

• The damage
• Destroys 13,000 k? of forested area/year
• Leaves over 700,000 k? barren
• Effects
• Leaves a buildup of methane gas dangerous to
  society as a whole
• Voids land of any future use
• Clear land using fire uncontrolled
• Repeated overgrazing in many areas

14
Cont.

• Why?
• Prices doubled due to currency straddle
• Much more profitable than agriculture
• Better international image no diseases
• Large areas of cheap land for mass grazing
• from local effects
• Local Ranchers are common, but most are now
  employed under multinationals
• A cattle on average is expected to graze leave
  half to a whole hectare barren before slaughtered

15
Possible Solutions
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Solutions- Timber Logging

• 70 of wasted timber could be made feasible with
  advanced technology/ requirement of certification
• Laws are in place- but with further requirements
  of re-enforcements, especially against illegal
  logging
• Conversion of logging into sustainable farming of
  latex, fruits, pharmaceuticals calculated to be
  600 more profitable

17
Solution- Commercial Farming

• Support farmers with technology/aid to make land
  sustainable for Soya or change to a more
  adaptable crop
• Create job opportunities in other
  secondary/tertiary business
• Reduce immigrants to lower possible amounts of
  poor farmers with no land

18
Solution- Cattle Ranches

• Higher taxes against international co operations
  reducing amount and using money for land
  restoration
• Prohibit extensive road building creating
  transportation problems- restricting areas for
  ranch land.
• Establish tradable permits to limit the
  time/amount of grazing on any piece of land

19
Overall Solution

• Most of the remedies requires huge sums of
  money or a large task force- which would the the
  Brazil government.
• Put pressure onto the government or countries in
  which Brazil owes dept towards.
• Increase international awareness of the current
  situation.