By Heather Anderson

It is the beginning of the twentieth century. The Amazon rain forest is largely undisturbed and unaltered. Few settlers have penetrated into its moist, green interior. The Amazon River flows, fresh, and clean, through this astounding ecosystem. Fast-forward 100 years.

Though the Amazon River still runs through the rainforest it is polluted due to mercury poisoning. Much of the forest has been destroyed thanks to farmers, loggers, miners and cattle ranchers. At the center of the destruction is the Brazilian government, who allows the devastation and illegal activities to continue. They see the Amazon as a challenge that must be conquered, rather than what it is, a gift that should be used to the advantage of the Brazilian people. The Brazilian government does not seem to care about this wonder that has an effect on the entire planet. They have shown, time and time again, that they aren’t capable of keeping their citizens under control and punishing those who break conservation laws. Should this group of people have control over the Amazon simply because it is within their borders? I don’t think so. They give little thought to the global consequences of their actions and this carelessness may be fatal to our planet. If a powerful global organization was given control of the Amazon, the forest could be stabilized over time. The countries that have the rainforest within their borders could be shown how to successfully and profitably harvest the rainforest. This way its existence would be ensured for many generations. Action must be taken and taken now, for there may not be a tomorrow.

But who could possibly take on such a responsibility? In the last few months we have seen the UN pushed to the side and disregarded by the most powerful countries in the world, it’s influence and approval weightless. Who is to say that Brazil won’t do the same thing, or that whatever the UN says will really be taken into account. Environmental groups such as Greenpeace, the Nature Conservancy, or Conservation International, have the right thing at heart, protecting the rain forest and the creatures that live there. However, are they able to tell the Brazilian government that they no longer have control over their own land? This is unlikely, unless they have someone behind them that can force the government to oblige. Unfortunately, any country that has control over the rainforest, either directly or indirectly, faces the threat of global disapproval. And then there’s always a chance that the country backing the plan could also abuse the rainforest. Looking at the way our world is setup today, the best way to go about protecting the rainforest would be to have a nonprofit organization with a reputable history, that has a positive, but not radical, environmental focus directly take control of the Amazon. This group should be backed by several countries that have influence and power. These countries would have to do little other than the initial setup, and the occasionally check in to be sure everything is moving forward. But does such a combination exist?

Unfortunately there’s more to fixing the problem than restoring peace and order to the jungle. The underlying problems in Brazil and other South American countries need to be looked at and possible solutions need to be examined. The rainforest is being turned into farmland due the migration of poor, landless farmers in the south to the Amazon rainforest in the north. Roads, built with money from the world banks, give these people easy access to the north, where they farm for a few years and then move on. Then come the cattle ranchers who make more money by owning the land than raising cattle. In other places, the rainforest is destroyed for mining. Brazil has one of the best deposits of iron ore in the world. A large amount of Japan and Europe’s iron comes from these deposits. Brazil now has such a large debt from developing the rainforest that it seems as though it will never be paid off. There’s more to the problem than meets the eye and if it is not fixed, we will never be guaranteed that the rainforest will be safe in the future.

Throughout history, man has altered his surroundings in many ways, sometimes working against nature, other times with it. Countries like India, Indonesia, Congo (Democratic Republic), and Malaysia, used to be covered in rain forest, similar to Brazil and the Amazon. Today however, there is little rain forest left in these countries. What is still standing is rapidly declining. These countries are not industrial countries. Over population, poverty, terrorism and health problems plague them to such an extent that there seems to be no solution. Could this be Brazil’s future if it does not act? Possibly. The destruction of the rain forest affects rainfall and drought. Any area cleared will fall into a drought. Brazil does not have enough money to import food and if its population continues to grow, it could soon be facing a large famine. This creates a breeding ground for civil unrest, political extremists and revolution. If the Brazilian government does not stop it, they could be overthrown. If they use extreme force, not only are they looked down upon by other countries and threatened with sanctions, but their own people will have distrust and hate for them as well. So what does the Brazilian government have to gain by cutting down the rainforest? Not much.

In the event that nothing is done to save the Amazon, it will be gone in a matter of decades. Rainforest cover 6% of the earth’s land surface. Fifty years ago it covered 14%. Scientists estimate that it may disappear as soon as 2040. If the Amazon is destroyed, the whole of northern Brazil, southern sections of French Guiana, Surinam, Guyana, and parts of Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia will become barren lands, scarcely capable of supporting even the feeblest of vegetation. Eventually it will become a desert. This is already happening in the areas that have been deforested, and will continue to happen if the deforestation is not stopped.
The settlement of the rainforest is causing more than environmental concern. It is causing problems dealing with land ownership. Violence often erupts over land claims and the cattle ranchers usually win by killing their opposition. These problems of land claims also involve the rubber tappers who extract latex from the trees, and the native tribes who have lived on the land for thousands of years. Though the government does have laws to protect these groups, those responsible for enforcing them can be bribed to turn a blind eye and it is not unheard of for this to happen.

We must take steps to protect the rainforest because it is a natural wonder and a fundamental key to the survival of Earth. It supplies about an estimated 20% of the earth’s oxygen and cuts down on gas emissions.
The Amazon and its tributaries contain one fifth of the earth’s fresh water. Fresh water is expected to become extremely valuable due to water shortages around the world. Over half the world’s animals and plants call the Amazon home. Twenty-five percent of our pharmaceuticals are derived from plants in the rainforest. Yet only one percent of plants in rainforests throughout the world have been scientifically studied for their medical properties.