Settlers and developers have attempted to exploit South America's Amazon River for over 400 years. However, the last few decades have witnessed the greatest destruction of this extremely fragile ecosystem. The result has been world-wide attention on the river and its rain forest due mainly to the projected environmental consequences of this destructiveness. In fact, many are referring to it as "one of the great tragedies of history." But along with the ecological damage. this devastation also has wreaked economic end social havoc. The purpose of this paper will be to discuss the destruction of the Amazon rain forest and these effects as a result of development and deforestation. In addition, a review of what is being proposed and what is being done to rectify the situation also will be included.
Home to the largest rain forest in the world, the Amazon River meanders for nearly 4,000 miles and delivers an average of 170 billion gallons of water an hour to the Atlantic Ocean (Linden 76). The entire system covers 2.7 million square miles (almost 90 percent of the contiguous United States) and reaches into eight countries besides Brazil, including Venezuela, Peru and Bolivia (Ibid. 77). The mighty Amazon River feeds over 1,000 tributaries and is second in length only to the Nile's 4,000 miles (Ibid.).
The jungle surrounding the river is so dense and filled with so many kinds of life forms it is almost impossible to calculate the number. Each tree alone may support up to 400 insect forms. In many cases the plants and animals assume "Amazonian" proportions. Lily pads are known to be more than three feet across; butterflies have eight-inch wingspans and a fish, such as the pirarucu, can grow to more than seven feet (Ibid.).
Further, this biological system exhibits unimaginable survival techniques: caterpillars that look like snakes, plants that give off the smell of rotting meat to attract flies as pollinators, and tree...