The purpose of this paper is to discuss the deforestation of the Amazon. This discussion emphasizes the social and geographic
background, the impact of deforestation on the Amazon's people and resources, and the causes as well as some proposed solutions to the problem.
In an editorial statement, The Economist magazine noted that the Amazon rain forest in Brazil contains
. . . nearly one third of all the world's tropical
forest--and a greater variety of plants than any
other country. The Amazon has more types of fish
than in all the rivers of Europe; the trees are home
to more species of bird than in all the forests
The resources of the Amazon do not stop with the tree and animal life, for the plant life must also be included. The plants of the Amazon have provided greatly in terms of medicinal compounds, and they are expected to contribute far more in the future, up to and including the possibility of life-saving compounds for cancer and/or AIDS. However, perhaps the greatest resource of the Amazon rain forest is its contribution to the world's oxygen supply. Indeed, the rain forest is so massive that it is estimated that deforestation, which entails burning a conservative estimate of 28 million acres per year, by itself contributes 20 percent of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
and, as a result, contributes to the warming of world climes, which has come to be known as the "greenhouse effect." In addition to the foregoing, it can be noted that the Amazon contains the world's richest deposits of iron ore and other mineral resources.
Understanding of both the causes of the deforestation and its impact cannot be had without knowledge of the complicated and diverse social milieu embroiled in the ongoing battle regarding the Amazon rain forest. In this regard, several articles have attempted to delineate the complexity of this social nexus. These articles indicate that deforesta...