deforestation could spread diseases

Kierstin Lilly

11/19/10

3:45 PM

The costs of deforestation in terms of climate, biodiversity and economics are well known, but rainforests are also habitats for many drugs that have not been explored yet. Continued logging could unleash a devastating new pandemic and cause fatal diseases to spread into the human population. Scientists have said that if we keep destroying remaining forests then there is a danger that some of the planet’s most threatening diseases, or even new viruses, could spread on a overwhelming and unmanageable scale. Ravinder Sehgal, associate professor of biology at San Francisco State University, has been studying the effects of deforestation on African rainforest birds and how their diseases and blood parasites could potentially put human health at risk with habitats being destroyed.

Deforestation has had problems for quite some time now but most humans, if not directly affected, do not realize how severe of an issue this has become. The severity of deforestation does not affect most of the population in terms of climate and biodiversity. People go on with their normal lives not knowing about the problems at hand. If disease were to break out due to deforestation and the continuation of degrading forests, the human race could face a huge population crisis. In any epidemic the overall emotional state of people would be panic. Society would fall apart with confusion, fear, and death if a pandemic were to occur.

http://www.theecologist.org/investigations/health/685584/deforestation_could_fuel_deadly_spread_of_malaria_yellow_fever_and_lyme_disease.html

Kierstin Lilly

11/11/10

3:35 PM

In Zimbabwe, Africa the failure of the government to develop a stable electricity structure has continued to affect the landscape, causing massive environmental destruction. Daily power cuts that are negatively affecting businesses and home are the result of years of corruption and mismanagement at the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA). With no electricity many people have no choice but to cut down trees and make that their new business. Between 1990 and 2005 the country lost 21% of its forests and has no primary forests remaining and between 2000 and 2006 Zimbabwe was one of the top ten countries in the world for deforestation. Deforestation is a national problem that has significant consequences including vast amounts of land without any vegetation all over the country. “The situation is extremely bad. Imagine from 2000 when the farm invasions began. These people could not farm so the only economic form of survival became the cutting down and selling of trees to sell to the town locals and others.”

This problem has international consequences because Zimbabwe is signatory to the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, which require member nations to uphold specific standards of environmental preservation. This situation is not the peoples fault but rather the governments doing. The power cuts have left the people with no means of electricity, leading them further into poverty. Survival instincts come out in any type of threatening situation and for the people of Zimbabwe, cutting down trees to sell is a means of survival. The residents have begged the government to rethink its energy policies to find a long term, environmentally friendly source of energy for the benefit of the country.

http://www.swradioafrica.com/news101110/powercuts101110.html

More Floods and Droughts Expected in Pakistan

Kierstin Lilly

11/4/10

11:31 AM

The recent floods in Pakistan have caused massive devastation, killing over 1,900 people and injuring 3,000. Global warming and change in extreme weather conditions are factors that may cause even more flooding in the future, while deforestation and the burning of fossil fuels are some of the major factors contributing to global warming. The worldwide fund for nature organization claims that the forest cover of over 4.242 million hectares in 1992 has declined to 3.44 million hectares and that the “Revival of forests will have promising socio-economic and environmental impacts as these forests will help in improving climate conditions.”

The rise in temperature is causing a change in the world’s environment. “ We have to convert our industries to wind and solar power…moreover people would have to stop hacking forests to ensure clean and green atmosphere.” The article explains the issue of flooding and climate change in Pakistan to a good extent and it also expresses a strong interest in finding the solutions to these problems that are not only affecting Pakistan but also climate and extreme weather all over the world. These issues are not only impacting the environment negatively but also the people as well through injuries and even death. I appreciate that the article also shows interest on the fact that humans are responsible for these issues due to the degrading of forests, burning of fossil fuels and misuse of natural resources. The people have created these problems themselves, disregarding the damage of the environment, until it begins to affect their lives. Immediate measures need to be taken to stop deforestation in order to reverse the environmental damage.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010%5C11%5C01%5Cstory_1-11-2010_pg7_6

Indonesia's rainforest being destroyed

Kierstin Lilly

10/28/10

8:15PM

Indonesia has one of the world’s largest areas of remaining forest but is also one of the highest areas of deforestation rates. With a vast majority of the forest already gone from a decade’s “goldrush” of uncontrolled timber logging, palm oil and pulpwood plantations are using the rest. This is not only endangering the wildlife and people but the global climate change as well. Along many of the rivers, dead and dying trees stand bare where rainforest once flourished. Killing off these trees also allows a free flow of floodwaters to drown more trees, eroding the habitat and resources of local populations. The monsoon rains are not due for another month but with the radical deforestation, the West Kalimantan province in Indonesia has been flooded for three months in the time of the year that is supposed to be the area’s “dry” season.

Kalimantan has almost ten percent of the world’s tropical forest and a large biodiversity being the home of some of the world’s most endangered mammals. These mammals face extinction if the forest is completely destroyed. This article explains not only what is happening with the forest and the devastation it is bringing on the land but it also gives insight on the people and animals who inhabit the land. A sixty-year-old man, Saweng, states that, “the forest is important for everything for us, for tools, for house and for boat, for food and for medicine. The loss of the forest is making our lives more difficult.” Although I believe it is good for the reader to understand how the people who inhabit these areas feel, I do not agree with how many quotes this article has. I feel it would have been a more affective article if it were cut shorter.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/oct/24/borneo-indonesia-rainforest-illegal-logging

Tanzania's Forest Loss and Energy Crisis

Kierstin Lilly

10/21/10

11:25 AM

Throughout Tanzania, Africa the business of unsustainable logging is escalading. There are more than 39 million people, or 90 percent, of Tanzania’s population who are relying on firewood and charcoal for household cooking fuel. This wood is also the primary energy source for brick and tobacco-curing industries. The result of this has been a drastic loss in the country’s forestland. “The country’s forest cover has reduced over the last 40 years from 6.3 hectares per capita in 1961 to around .08 hectares in 2009.” Because of this, miles of land have been left bare and incapable of holding water or supporting plant life for agriculture. The United Nations Development Program is working towards reducing firewood use by 50 percent and providing “affordable, reliable and sustainable energy services.”

The techniques that the UNDP want to put in affect would be used to dry out wood and switch to improved clay firewood stoves. “We want to demonstrate the best existing energy technologies that can be easily adopted by the poor.” The goal is to educate people to make the most of the energy sources they use. I appreciate the author of this article working towards finding out not only what the issue is in this country but also what the country plans to do to fix it, and also how the people of the country will do in adapting to its changes. The deforestation problem in Tanzania is continuing to grow larger with people using 1,000 kilograms of wood to create only 100 kilograms of charcoal. “It is estimated that if all households in the country started using improved firewood stoves, deforestation could be reduced by around 206,000 hectares per year.” To me, the fact that the poor individuals of this country are being recognized shows that their identity matters it implies that this issue will be resolved and managed accordingly.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201010200065.html

UN Launches Decade for Combating Desertification in Asia

Kierstin Lilly

October 15, 2010

11:25 AM

The United Nations has launched the “Decade for Deserts” and the “Fight against Desertification” for the Asian region. This region has close to 40 percent of land that has been affected by drought and land degradation and also has the largest population afflicted by desertification. "Continued land degradation -- whether from climate change, unsustainable agriculture or poor management of water resources -- is a threat to food security, leading to starvation among the most acutely affected communities and robbing the world of productive land.” These dry lands are home to only one in three people in the world who are now facing serious threats due to the increase of droughts and floods being caused by the land degradation. "Breaking the poverty cycle is a master key in the fight against desertification, land degradation and tempering the impact of drought," said Luc Gnacadja, Executive Secretary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)”

I would like this article to go more in depth with this serious situation and inform the reader of why this region has become so vastly affected by drought, land degradation and desertification. It is stated that “it only takes seconds for floodwaters to erode fertile soil, and can take 500 years to recover an inch of that soil.” This shows exactly how dramatic and serious this situation is, not only for the land but for the large population as well. These people are being left with unsustainable agriculture and poor water resources. They are on the edge of starvation and complete poverty. I encourage the United Nations in their efforts of launching the Decade for Deserts and the Fight against Desertification but these problems do not just happen over night. It shocks me how often people wait till after something drastic happens, in this case an environmental disaster, to take action towards fixing the problem.

http://www.indepthnews.net/news/news.php?key1=2010-10-14%2000:46:18&key2=1

Corruption And Deforestation Caused Oaxaca’s Mudslide Disaster

Kierstin Lilly

10/5/10

12:30pm

On the morning of September 28^th 80 percent of Tlahuitoltepec, Oaxaca was buried by a mudslide caused by deforestation and the record amounts of rainfall. Eleven people have been reported missing and there have been no confirmations of any deaths so far. With no surprise, electricity and phone lines are down along with many roads having been covered with debris or even washed away. This mudslide, however, didn’t happen overnight. “The mud began to slide on September 13^th, causing the walls of nearby housed to crack as the earth began to move.” There have also been warnings from local officials that mudslides could endanger the region and create a humanitarian disaster if nothing was done.

The information in this article is very eye opening. The fact that this disaster could have been avoided reflects extremely negatively on Oaxaca’s government. I would have liked to be informed why the government did not take action after being warned. The author of the article also informs us that there have been corruptions in Oaxaca’s highway projects believing that politicians and contractors embezzle money and use cheap materials to pocket the difference. This shows me that there has to be quite a bit of poverty in that region for the government to overlook such a huge issue. To put their people in danger, of not only their land being destroyed but possibly their lives as well, reflects horribly on the country’s leadership. I wish that the article had gone more into the reasons why there has been so much corruption and neglect towards this country’s people.

http://upsidedownworld.org/main/mexico-archives-79/2712-corruption-and-deforestation-caused-oaxacas-mudslide-disaster

deforestation in Africa

Kierstin Lilly

9/29/10

6:00pm

The rate of deforestation in the “formerly tropical beautiful green zones of Africa” has been increasing because of the incentives to exploit forests. Deforestation is now being estimated at “2.6 million hectares annually, an area almost equivalent to Uganda.” Biodiversity, degradation of watersheds and desertification have been a result of the depletion of these forests and with the combination of deforestation and land degradation the problem of poverty in rural areas have sky rocketed. In the 1960’s the world’s forests accounted for 35 percent of the land where as today it has been reduced by almost 15 percent leaving the situation with the presumption that in the next 80 years there will be no forests left.

This article does a great job at pushing the problem at hand, right in the readers face. It tells you what the situation is right now as well as what will happen which is very a significant factor because most people do not realize the greatness of certain problems. The fact that the “land degradation exacerbates the problem of poverty in rural areas” is another huge issue in itself. Taking away the forests is basically taking away the peoples means of shelter, food, changing their climate conditions and several others things that are part of their means of living. When one situation is a problem for some it is also a solution to others. With the rise in population there is a higher demand for forest goods, which is a perfect example of helping one part of society and hurting another. Although “forests are a valuable environmental and economic resource for supporting natural systems and improving human welfare”, there has to be a balance between improving the welfare of some and destroying it for others.

http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/459/732893

Pakistan importing raw sugar after floods damage crop

Kierstin Lilly

10:02 pm

9/22/10

Pakistan now has to import raw sugar to meet the country’s demand after the flood damage to their sugar cane crop. The country consumes four million tons of sugar a year and “needs shipments to bolster supply and reduce record domestic prices.” The flooding that began in July has caused seven billion dollars worth of damage and the farm output, thought to expand 3.8 percent that year, “may shrink 1.7 percent because of crop damage.” The price of sugar rose a major 38 percent putting the price near $1.05 per kilogram.

The article gives a very brief overview of this rather serious situation. The flooding began only a couple of months ago and therefore it is still, and should be noted, as a serious situation. I would like to see the article show more interest in the damage done to the environment and the people that the flooding has affected. If the country is having to import sugar due to the four million tons of sugar consumed a year not being met, then the farm output should be stated as more server than this article gives credit. The article also mentions the “duty-free import” that Pakistan approved but it does not inform the reader of what a duty free import, or what the abolishment of a 25 percent duty on raw sugar exactly means. Overall, the article supplies the reader with the necessary information to come to one’s own conclusion about the current situation on sugar in Pakistan, but seriousness of the environmental impact is lacking.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-09-21/pakistan-approves-duty-free-import-of-raw-sugar-after-floods-damage-crop.html

coal ash producing major pollution

Kierstin Lilly

4:25pm

9/16/10

China has now become the largest source of solid industrial waste in the world. The rate of generation of coal ash has more than doubled in the last 8 years. “China’s coal production is resulting in enough coal ash to fill one standard swimming pool every two and a half minutes.” It is estimated that for every four tons of coal China burns, it is producing one ton of coal ash. There have been around 20 different kinds of harmful substances found at the coal ash disposal spots and many of these spots have “poor safeguards to prevent coal ash contamination through wind dispersal or leakage into water.” A farmer living only seven kilometers away from the coal plant has said that the villagers are feeling obvious affects from the pollution and that “whenever the wind comes, the coal ash fills my eyes and makes them water.” Many farmers are also struggling with their crops being covered with coal ash.

The article does a good job describing the issue at hand and giving the reader a visual of how much pollution there actually is from the coal ash by comparing the amount to filling up a swimming pool. However, with all of the destruction that the coal ash is producing, “the law enforcement methods appear relatively weak.” Factories are only charged 30 Yuan (roughly $4.4) for each ton of coal ash that is not disposed of properly. The amounts of coal ash being distributed throughout China by means of wind dispersal and water contamination have reached all time highs. The article clearly addresses that the issue is becoming more severe with the effects on the land, people, and water. Even with that being stated, there are no mentioned actions being taken to undo the damage. Regardless, the country is recognizing its faults and working towards “an improvement in energy efficiency and the development of renewable energy.”

http://china.globaltimes.cn/society/2010-09/573574.html

Biofuel Demand Driving Africa "Land Grab"

Kierstin Lilly

9/9/10

4:50pm

Foreign firms are seizing at least 5 million hectares (19,300 square miles) of land in Africa to grow crops because of a biofuel demand. Sugar cane, jatropha and palm oil till be grown in 11 countries to be turned into fuel. This project will involve clearing massive amounts of forests and vegetation. The proponents of biofuels argue that “they are renewable and can help fight climate change because the growing plants ingest as much carbon dioxide from the air as the fuels made from them emit when burned.” Rice farmers have been forced off their land for the biofuel projects and there are similar plans underway for the thousands of miles of more land. The Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa has said that biofuels will boost investment in land and that this plan “could have a positive effect on food production, and if properly managed would not mean destroying natural forests.

The only problem with this is that these foreign firms have not informed us that the project will be properly managed. This article practically gives the reader the idea that all the biofuel demand is doing is taking away land from the African inhabitants that they could be using for vegetation, food, and farming for their own communities. The fact that rice farmers are being forced off their land so that sugar cane can be produced is not human or environmentally sound for these communities. This expansion of biofuels seems to be doing nothing but “transforming forests and natural vegetaion into fuel crops, taking away food-growing farmland from communities, and creating conflicts with local people over land ownership.”

http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE67T02F20100830

ChinaYangtze environmental damage

Kierstin Lilly

In Beijing China there has been a large amount of environmental destruction along the Yangtze River. It is said that “for numerous reasons, the forests on both sides of the river have been seriously degraded”, which had led to bare mountainsides and made the area more prone to natural disasters. The degrading is also causing several problems for the 30 millions people upriver from the reservoir who are having to deal with polluted water due to the fact that the erosion along the banks is preventing the river from flushing out waste. The harmful conditions are also the reason that 1.4 million people, and counting, are being relocated to protect them from the high chances of landslides and rising polluted waters. “The garbage was so thick in places that people could walk across it” said the China Daily newspaper. To help this cause, Chongqing, a city upriver from the reservoir will invest 28 billion Yuan in the upcoming three years.

This story is very unsettling in many aspects. It is apparent to me that this problem could have and at all costs should have been avoided. The reservoir did not become so polluted and degraded overnight so one huge question in my mind is, how exactly did it come to this point? China is an extremely populated country which, in my mind, pollution could be a problem with that many people but on the other hand with that many people wouldn’t there be a better system of removing waste. And with all of the money invested in fixing the problem already created I don’t see the point in relocating 1.4 million people and an additional 300 thousand people to keep them from harm when there are already ongoing efforts to fix the issue. And to reiterate my point, this whole problem could have easily been avoided. If these people have the money to invest 28 billion Yuan to fix the pollution, I think they could invest some money to stop further pollution as well.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iN1YdN5bPbs3YGvedjsBbJKjI5Uw