The rainforests of the world are
now down about 20% from what they originally were. The majority of the problem
is due to croplands, cattle ranches and logging. The human population is
expanding and is driving the demand for more land dedicated to food production.
The forests are home to millions of species of plants and animals and with more
loss to the forest then the more species will be lost. Studies are now
suggesting that deforestation is slowing down through various means of effort,
however deforestation still continues and it seems to be centered on illegal
logging.
Many laws have been put in place to
stop logging or at least limit it. This has caused numerous mills to go
bankrupt and thousands have lost their jobs. As a result, some companies continued
logging but it was more off of the books. Bribing also became a serious issue
because it showed that companies that were either caught overharvesting or
logging when they were supposed to be closed and getting away with it. If the
companies were able to log, they could then sell the timber overseas without
problems because no laws prevented it. In 2008, the Lacey Act was amended to
make selling illegal timber a crime. Many countries have been fighting logging
at every turn and the data is showing a decline. However, the forests are still
disappearing.
I
think this is a good thing to happen for the forests and all of the plants and
animals living in them, however, it is costing a lot of people their jobs and
money. It is no surprise to see companies start illegally logging and bribing out
of desperation. The bribing is one way of getting around the laws and it shows
that even stricter laws are necessary and more effective overseers are
required. With the rise in the human population continuing it will be difficult
to stop deforestation completely. --Andy Feild
