An Ethical Approach to Deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest
Are outsiders overusing resources in the Amazon rainforest? Some believe that cutting down trees is necessary economically, while others argue that it only makes the wildlife and neighboring people helpless. While deforestation can provide farmers and locals with many materials, such as knifes, paper, and wood; it can also cause several harmful effects such as, global warming, carbon emissions, loss of habitats, and the destruction of indigenous peoples’ homes and their health. Without the trees, there is no way for the vast amount of animals, including humans, to live and without the animals, people will ultimately starve. The Amazon is an essential life source for the wildlife …show more content…
Based on Navarro’s findings, locals believe that it is a necessary evil, because burning timber allows individuals to make a living and provide others with “fertile land” (1). This is important because, most of the population in South America consists of indigenous people or tribes. “A large part of the Amazon tropical rainforests is inhabited and used by indigenous peoples. Many hold collective titles of ownership to their lands, whereas others have gotten their lands declared as state-owned indigenous reserves” (Sirén 669). These individuals in charge of clearing out parts of the land while conserving other parts as necessary are usually farmers, caretakers, etc. trying to make extra money. All things considered, indigenous rights groups still believe that they are being threatened by outsiders who want to take and destroy much of their land. In regards to this impeding threat, the United Nations implemented a program called, “Reducing Emissions From Deforestation and Degradation (REDD), one of the United Nations’ central programs in combating carbon emissions, under which polluters can offset their emissions by purchasing carbon credits generated by governments, companies, and communities that protect forests (Erazo 2). Another group to note is the International …show more content…
Studies have shown that in addition to this, indigenous people have not utilized the older cultivation methods of their ancestors which involved shifting cultivation. “According to Miller and Nair’s historical findings, the cultivation systems previously used involved one or more of the following practices: Fruit trees and plants are planted and managed seedlings [were] grown in…gardens for transplanting to fields; tree species are spared when forest and old fallows are cleared for agriculture; Seeds…planted with staple crops, [are] dispersed arbitrarily, planted along trails…and forest clearings” (Miller and Nair 156). Using these methods would prove to be beneficial in the locals’ conservation efforts. Erazo’s findings have also shown that Indigenous groups have their reservations, but at the same time they are contributing to the environments demise. However, as previously stated, most of the locals have used the land as a way to get quick cash and make a living off of it in return. “Where indigenous people have gotten access to markets, in contrast, they have often degraded the environment by engaging in cash cropping and cattle ranching or cashing in on timber and mineral resources” (Sirén 669). This adds on to the stress of the environment and therefore, the question remains if deforestation really is morally wrong or is it just a
Are outsiders overusing resources in the Amazon rainforest? Some believe that cutting down trees is necessary economically, while others argue that it only makes the wildlife and neighboring people helpless. While deforestation can provide farmers and locals with many materials, such as knifes, paper, and wood; it can also cause several harmful effects such as, global warming, carbon emissions, loss of habitats, and the destruction of indigenous peoples’ homes and their health. Without the trees, there is no way for the vast amount of animals, including humans, to live and without the animals, people will ultimately starve. The Amazon is an essential life source for the wildlife …show more content…
Based on Navarro’s findings, locals believe that it is a necessary evil, because burning timber allows individuals to make a living and provide others with “fertile land” (1). This is important because, most of the population in South America consists of indigenous people or tribes. “A large part of the Amazon tropical rainforests is inhabited and used by indigenous peoples. Many hold collective titles of ownership to their lands, whereas others have gotten their lands declared as state-owned indigenous reserves” (Sirén 669). These individuals in charge of clearing out parts of the land while conserving other parts as necessary are usually farmers, caretakers, etc. trying to make extra money. All things considered, indigenous rights groups still believe that they are being threatened by outsiders who want to take and destroy much of their land. In regards to this impeding threat, the United Nations implemented a program called, “Reducing Emissions From Deforestation and Degradation (REDD), one of the United Nations’ central programs in combating carbon emissions, under which polluters can offset their emissions by purchasing carbon credits generated by governments, companies, and communities that protect forests (Erazo 2). Another group to note is the International …show more content…
Studies have shown that in addition to this, indigenous people have not utilized the older cultivation methods of their ancestors which involved shifting cultivation. “According to Miller and Nair’s historical findings, the cultivation systems previously used involved one or more of the following practices: Fruit trees and plants are planted and managed seedlings [were] grown in…gardens for transplanting to fields; tree species are spared when forest and old fallows are cleared for agriculture; Seeds…planted with staple crops, [are] dispersed arbitrarily, planted along trails…and forest clearings” (Miller and Nair 156). Using these methods would prove to be beneficial in the locals’ conservation efforts. Erazo’s findings have also shown that Indigenous groups have their reservations, but at the same time they are contributing to the environments demise. However, as previously stated, most of the locals have used the land as a way to get quick cash and make a living off of it in return. “Where indigenous people have gotten access to markets, in contrast, they have often degraded the environment by engaging in cash cropping and cattle ranching or cashing in on timber and mineral resources” (Sirén 669). This adds on to the stress of the environment and therefore, the question remains if deforestation really is morally wrong or is it just a