Deforestation

Environmental Profile

 Discuss an environmental issue and explain why it is important to address:

 A major environmental issue that is not just happening in tropical rainforests but all over the world is deforestation. Major deforestation started in the early 60’s to make way for farming and urban areas. Now major deforestation is mainly logging and development areas. This issue is important to address because of many reasons. It is estimate that due to deforestation, 137 species are being destroyed just in South America. Also annually 21,000 square miles of tropical rainforest in South America, is being destroyed because of deforestation. These reasons and many more are why this issue should be majorly addressed worldwide. Because from a worldwide perspective, deforestation may affect humans for the rest of their existence. This is important because in the future we do not want to have no tropical rainforests on Earth. We want a lively planet with lots of biodiversity.   

 
Discuss efforts currently underway to address this issue:
There have been many attempts over the years to stop deforestation. Most of these attempts fail. This is because we need trees to help us with daily life, for example paper. As there are not any major conservation efforts that we have been able to find we have created a plan for the future. To best meet the complex requirements for rainforest conservation, it is imperative that we balance conservation efforts between the local, national, and international sectors. Empowerment over forests and their resources should begin on the local level of individual communities with municipal governments overseeing parks. Partnerships between participants are necessary to fuse scientific, economic, and social information and formulate an overall plan for the use and conservation of tropical rainforests.

List the names of agencies or organizations that could be contacted for more information:

 Here are some agencies that could be contacted regarding deforestation in tropical rainforests.

Cite your sources:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4I6PMMG9e7M

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deforestation

www.mongabay.com


Poaching

Environmental Profile

 

Discuss an environmental issue and explain why it is important to address:

Poaching is a major issue, not just environmentally but all over the world. Poaching is the illegal hunting, fishing or harvesting of wild plants or animals. The most common animals that are targeted by poachers are animals that contain Ivory. Some of these animals include Elephants, Mammoths and Hippopotamus’. Ivory is very popular, that is why it’s sold for high quantities of money. Some bits of Ivory can sell up to $3000 per pair. This issue is important to address because it has a major effect on the declining of animals. Also, because animals deserve the same fair treatment as a humans. The way this poaching is completed is totally just not right. They end up cutting off a little bit of tusk. After this process is completed, ivory can be sold to make Pianos, billiard balls and even bagpipes.  Major animal’s rights are being broken, by hunting animals for money. We personally think this is truly unfair. Tropical rain forests are full of extraordinary and rare animals which are found nowhere else on earth. This makes them very well-liked with commercial poachers and trappers who seek to make money from the sale of animal parts such as skins and tusks. In addition, many of the species which survive in the rain forests are highly prized as pets, particularly small primates such as monkeys and bushbabies.

 

Discuss efforts currently underway to address this issue:

 Because poaching is a major issue around the world there are a lot of efforts going around trying and stopping this. Most main companies around the world such as Animal Planet have contributed a lot of money to stop poaching. Even news stations are contributing by alarming people of this disgusting profession. Other efforts to stop poaching such as the World Wildlife Foundation and governments stepping in haven’t been enough. More people need to make a conscious attempt to protect the animals that live beside us. Much is being done to curtail the actions of the commercial poachers, with special legislation set up to prevent international trade in endangered species. However, the laws put in place to achieve this are not easy to enforce, particularly in those countries that turn a blind eye to the damaging activities of the hunters and traders. Even so, there have been many successes, and it is hoped that with amplified international cooperation, the international trade in animal parts and live animals may be restricted to a sustainable level.

 List the names of agencies or organizations that could be contacted for more information:

 Here are some of the organizations you could get in touch with if you would like to find out more :

World Wildlife Foundation (WWF)
Worldwatch.org
Animalplanet.com
Tigerhomes.org

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