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Preparation of cloves in Madagascar. (Photo by R. Butler)
SUSTAINABLE USE OF LARGE-SCALE FOREST PRODUCTS
About 40 percent of rainforest deforestation is caused by commercial interests: the logging, cattle, agricultural development,
mining, hydroelectric, and other industries. Today these industries are mostly dependent on the one-time exploitation
of forest areas and moving on to new patches after those immediate resources have been depleted. These industries
are often encouraged by impoverished governments in search of quick and easy revenue. These governments look to the forest
as a means of bringing in foreign currency to pay off their debts and to improve their economy in the short term—overlooking the depletion of these important natural capital assets. In doing so, these governments may be retarding
future growth and further impoverishing future generations.
In promoting (through subsidies and market incentives) such false economies as those which enable tropical countries to
export cheap particle board and raw timber, governments are ignoring the best path for future economic growth.
For long-term growth, developing countries must begin to build up their technological base by encouraging industries
that promote technological progress and sustainable use. Wealth collected from extractive industries—essentially
rent earned not from hard work or ingenuity, but from the particular qualities of the land—does not build a solid
foundation for an economy. The problem lies in the rural development model based on mining of resources rather
than development. Natural resources are mined without consideration of future harvests.
Brazil cracks down on illegal soy, cattle production in the Amazon December 24, 2007
The Brazilian government launched a new initiative to slow deforestation in the Amazon, setting the stage for the country to potentially earn billions from carbon trading schemes set in motion two weeks ago at the U.N. climate meeting in Bali.
Eco-friendly palm oil could help alleviate poverty in Indonesia April 4, 2007
Since demand for palm oil isn't going to go away, Europe's best approach is to convince Indonesian oil-palm producers to cultivate their crop in a manner that's less damaging to the environment, as exemplified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO).
Palm oil doesn't have to be bad for the environment April 4, 2007
As traditionally practiced in Southeast Asia, oil-palm cultivation is responsible for widespread deforestation that reduces biodiversity, degrades important ecological services, worsens climate change, and traps workers in inequitable conditions sometimes analogous to slavery. This doesn't have to be the case.
To save the rainforests we must find a way for these companies to remain profitable without devastating the environment.
In the future, if we value the forests, these industries must provide jobs that will save the environment and not
destroy it. We cannot reasonably expect local people to shun employment with these companies if they are the only
form of work available to feed, house, and clothe their families. Sustainable industry can provide long-term employment
for the rural poor since it, unlike logging or large-scale agriculture, will not diminish the forest's capacity
to provide for future generations if carried out properly.
There are many challenges facing industries that exploit forest resources, and difficult decisions and compromises
will have to be made. These challenges stem from the differing opinions of the value of forest products and the
services that forests provide. Developers must find a means to satisfy the growing demand for forest products and
resources, while protecting forests and the environmental services they provide.
Review questions:
Why is it important to promote sustainable use of forest resources?
Why are extractive industries like logging generally not the best for long-term economic growth?
New rating systems seeks to promote sustainable landscapes from shopping malls to city parks
(11/15/2009) The Sustainable Sites Initiative has developed the United States' first rating system for the design, construction, and on-going maintenance of a wide-variety of landscapes, both with and without buildings, including shopping malls, subdivisions, university campuses, corporate buildings, transportation centers, parks and other recreation areas, and single-family homes.
Declaration calls for more wilderness protected areas to combat global warming
(11/11/2009) Meeting this week in Merida, Mexico, the 9th World Wilderness Congress (WILD9) has released a declaration that calls for increasing wilderness protections in an effort to mitigate climate change. The declaration, which is signed by a number of influential organizations, argues that wilderness areas—both terrestrial and marine—act as carbon sinks, while preserving biodiversity and vital ecosystem services.
Costa Rica proposes to downgrade Las Baulas National Park, threatening leatherback sea turtles
(11/11/2009) Costa Rica is considered by many to be a shining example of environmental stewardship, preserving both its terrestrial and marine biodiversity while benefiting from being a popular tourist location. However, a new move by the Costa Rican government has placed their reputation in question. In May of this year the President of Costa Rica, Oscar Arias, presented a law to the legislature that would downgrade Las Baulas from a National Park to a 'mixed property wildlife refuge'. The downgrading would authorize a number of development projects that conservationists say would threaten the park's starring resident: the leatherback turtle.
Nations vulnerable to global warming present demands: carbon levels below 350ppm and billions in aid
(11/10/2009) A group of nations especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change have released a declaration calling for developed countries to keep CO2 emission below 350 parts per million (ppm) and to give 1.5 percent of their gross domestic product to aid developing nations in adapting to the myriad impacts of climate change.
Fossil fuel subsidies "bringing us closer to irreversible climate change"
(11/06/2009) The Green Economy Coalition is urging G20 finance ministers to rapidly put an end to fossil fuel subsidies. In a letter to the ministers the coalition argues that these subsidies are contributing directly to climate change and making it difficult for the world to transition to a greener economy.
