Think back to the last vacation you had overseas and how many American companies you may have seen in that foreign country. Whether it was McDonalds or a JW Marriott, western culture is an overarching presence in Latin America. Not only can it potentially interfere with the current culture of the country, it also exploits the land and resources in the area. In Through the Arc of the Rainforest, Yamashita discusses the globalization process through overarching American corporations westernizing Southern America. Because of this, nature is exploited and not left to be natural. Increased western presences have had its effect on Latin America. Through tourism, many Americans and Europeans were drawn to the Matacão because of its tropical appeal.
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Yamashita illustrates the forest by saying, “...the Amazon Forest was a great decaying hothouse where all sustenance was sucked up immediately by the voracious flora and fauna, leaving nothing for the poor soil” (99). The Amazon Forest, the home to epiphytes, spiders, alligators, birds, monkeys, and millions of other species, is functioning in a cycle of life and death. Native plants and animals feed off of the fatality of others through the recycling of nutrients. Originally thought to be “virgin soil,” the ground of the rainforest has little to offer because of the lack of nutrients stored there. This natural cycle is often interrupted by humans. Through the discovery of the Matacão, the Amazon rainforest was glamorized in the media so tourists flocked to the sight. While native species thrive here, tourists wish for a cold shower to cleanse of the sweat from sweltering in the rainforest all day. Recently, the media has shined a light on the destruction of natural areas, specifically the Amazon rainforest. The tropical flowers, flashy animals such as jaguars and parrots, and nature hikes are portrayed in such an attractive fashion that, in turn, rainforests are becoming the new fad. The increased tourism creates a demand for roads and increased oil use, which as a result causes the deforestation of the rainforest. This deforestation causes the loss of habitats for millions of species, even those not discovered yet as well as the acceleration of climate change. Removing the trees leads to temperature shifts, a lack of moisture in the atmosphere, and increased greenhouse gases entering the atmosphere. Nature is natural and must be left to cycle
Yamashita illustrates the forest by saying, “...the Amazon Forest was a great decaying hothouse where all sustenance was sucked up immediately by the voracious flora and fauna, leaving nothing for the poor soil” (99). The Amazon Forest, the home to epiphytes, spiders, alligators, birds, monkeys, and millions of other species, is functioning in a cycle of life and death. Native plants and animals feed off of the fatality of others through the recycling of nutrients. Originally thought to be “virgin soil,” the ground of the rainforest has little to offer because of the lack of nutrients stored there. This natural cycle is often interrupted by humans. Through the discovery of the Matacão, the Amazon rainforest was glamorized in the media so tourists flocked to the sight. While native species thrive here, tourists wish for a cold shower to cleanse of the sweat from sweltering in the rainforest all day. Recently, the media has shined a light on the destruction of natural areas, specifically the Amazon rainforest. The tropical flowers, flashy animals such as jaguars and parrots, and nature hikes are portrayed in such an attractive fashion that, in turn, rainforests are becoming the new fad. The increased tourism creates a demand for roads and increased oil use, which as a result causes the deforestation of the rainforest. This deforestation causes the loss of habitats for millions of species, even those not discovered yet as well as the acceleration of climate change. Removing the trees leads to temperature shifts, a lack of moisture in the atmosphere, and increased greenhouse gases entering the atmosphere. Nature is natural and must be left to cycle