The Vanishing Rainforest

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWqgrFDIX6c

The man who grew his own Amazon rainforest - BBC World Service

Like all other major tropical rainforest areas on our planet, the Amazon rainforest is
being cut down and cleared at an alarming rate. At this moment in time, it still remains
as by far the largest unbroken ecosystem of tropical rainforest in the world.

The Amazon is a vast region that spans across eight rapidly developing countries:
Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and French
Guiana, an overseas territory of France. It is almost 8 times bigger than Texas or more
than half the size of the entire United States.

The Amazon contains:

· One in ten known species on Earth.
· 1.4 billion acres of dense forests, half of the planet's remaining tropical forests
with over 16,000 different kinds of trees!

20% of the world’s oxygen is produced in the Amazon

· about one-fifth of all the water that runs off Earth’s surface is carried by the
Amazon.
· The flood-stage discharge at the river’s mouth is four times that of the Congo
and more than 10 times the amount carried by the Mississippi River.

· 2.6 million square miles in the Amazon basin, about 40 percent of South
America
The region is home to about 2.5 million insect species, tens of thousands of plants, at
least 2,000 different birds and mammals. At least 40,000 plant species, 2,200 fishes,
1,294 birds, 427 mammals, 428 amphibians, and 378 reptiles have been scientifically
classified in the region. One in five of all bird species on the planet are found in the
Amazon rainforest, and one in five of the freshwater fish species live in Amazonian

rivers and streams.

Sadly, the future of the Amazon as an incredibly diverse natural rainforest is at high risk.
Already 20% is gone and more is lost each day, most of it since the 1970’s. In the last
40 years, the Brazilian Amazon lost more than 18 percent of its rainforest — an area
about the size of California — to illegal logging, soy plantations, and cattle ranching. In
all, an area the size of France has been cleared. Most of the remaining forest is under
threat, and with it the plants, animals, and people who depend on the forest to survive.

The main sources of deforestation in the Amazon are human settlement and
development of the land for small farms, cattle ranching especially, and now soybeans
for export. Before the early 1960s, access to the forest's interior was highly restricted,
and the forest remained basically intact. Farms established during the 1960s were
based on crop cultivation, which was not very successful. Today, politics have changed
throughout South America and especially in Brazil because of economic and
demographic (population) pressure. Swelling populations need land and jobs and
international trade in Brazilian beef and soybeans have brought more wealth to large

landowners.

In 1970, the world population was only 3.6 billion. Today it is over 7.9 billion. In Brazil in
1970, the population was 95 million. Today it is over 215 million, more than double. Big
changes also happened to the world economy. In 1970, almost all countries relied on
local or nearby countries for food and products. Most trade between countries was
regional. International trade amounted to 10% or less of business. Today, international
trade has become very important, accounting for at least 25% of business in most
countries. Brazilian beef and soybeans are sold in many different countries around the
world, making a lot of money for the larger landowners who produce beef and soybeans
and the different companies that support these industries. This trade creates a huge
and growing demand for land in Brazil, especially in the rainforests.

Politicians in democracies are often elected because they promise to solve people’s
current problems or take away their fears. Typically, the outlook is short term. Many of
the new laws or enforcement of old laws are for short term reasons, to make their voters
happy now so they can be reelected. In wealthier democracies with stable populations,
voting citizens can focus on their environment and the long-term health of their country.
In democracies in most developing countries, where populations are still growing too
quickly, the focus is on the immediate desires of the people and the short-term. This
usually means that the environment, especially rainforests, are under big threat.

In countries which are not true democracies, it really depends on the government and
leader in power. Many do not care and have policies which are terrible for the
environment while others set aside natural areas for conservation and preservation.
Cuba is one of the latter while China is the former.
Classwork: Find and write the complete sentence and answer the questions (in your
composition books)

1. “…settlement and development…”

2. What are the main reasons for the loss of rainforests in the Amazon?

3. “… largest unbroken ecosystem…”

4. “…eight times bigger…”

5. How big is the Amazon Rainforest, and how much has been lost?

6. How many kinds of plants, animals and insects or any kind live in the Amazon
rainforests?

7. Explain how politicians are partly to blame for the loss of the rainforests.

8. Explain how population growth is partly to blame for the loss of the rainforests.

9. Explain how economic development and world trade are partly to blame for loss of
rainforests.

10. “…international trade has become…”

11. “…creates a huge demand…”

12. “…especially rainforests…”