An essay about the value

and destruction found in

forests around the globe.

DE / FORESTATION

By Erik Molano
Environmental Issues
Spring 2012

Deforestation

roughout my life Ive found that being responsible has always brought me happiness.
Being responsible brings so many rewards, and Ive noticed this mostly in the context of
school, but also in my professional practice. Ill list a couple of generic examples:
1) When a student does their homework, they are rewarded with more knowledge and a
passing grade; the student is happy and the teacher is happy.
2) When an employee completes their work on time, they make their employer happy, and a
consistent, positive record usually results with a pay raise; the employee is happy and the
employer is happy.
So in most cases, being responsible usually coincides with a reward for multiple parties. But
what does it mean to truly be responsible? How do we care for things in a responsible
manner? I suppose the most important question would be, how do we determine what
matters? I will bring up a few more examples of responsibility and the importance of
responsibility, in the context of deforestation. First lets see how deforestation is defined by
the Society of American Foresters: Deforestation is the removal of a forest where the land is put
to a nonforest use.1 e American Heritage Science Dictionary, published by Houghton
Miin, defines deforestation as: e cutting down and removal of all or most of the trees in a
forested area. Deforestation can erode soils, contribute to desertification and the pollution of
waterways, and decrease biodiversity through the destruction of habitat.2
Although definitions may vary, it seems somewhat obvious that removing large parts of our
natural ecosystem would be detrimental to the planets health and our own health.
Unfortunately, people and businesses alike are either unaware of the value that forests bring
to our lives, or they simply overlook the value because there is another short-term gain to be
made, usually financial. Why do people value profit and financial wealth more than nature?
1

Society of American Foresters: http://dictionaryoorestry.org/dict/term/deforestation

e American Heritage Science Dictionary Copyright 2005 by Houghton Miin Company.

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Simple. Its due to our intertwined economic and societal structure.

When people are born and raised in a capitalist society, they are taught to work hard and
earn money for themselves. Businesses work with advertisers to tell us what we need, and
since we are largely surrounded by advertisements, logos and sales pitches, we start to believe
the things we hear around us. Everyone is trying to sell something to someone else. e
things we surround ourselves with become a powerful part of who we are. But its okay to
take care of ourselves and make sure we are safe and happy. Its okay to buy the things we
need, when we need them. What many people dont ask themselves is, What do I really
need? How much is enough stu? How much is enough money? When we are not able to
answer the preceding questions, we are usually not able to find true, long-term happiness in
our own lives. We develop in an economic environment where our wants start to become our
needs. So much attention to ourselves often develops into a self-centered, materialistic
lifestyle. In our society, we tend to value the me over the we, and that mindset has
extremely detrimental eects on ourselves and our environment.
And now, back to responsibility. Responsibility is all about being accountable for ones
impact on someone or something. Or as Google Dictionary puts it: Having an obligation to
do something as part of a job or role. Morally accountable for one's behavior. So if my examples
are true, and being responsible is beneficial to multiple parties, what are the benefits of
having forests? Well, we can start with our biggest benefactor, the rainforest.
Rainforests cover less than 2 percent of the Earth's total surface area, and are home to 50
percent of the Earth's plants and animals. A typical four-square-mile patch of rainforest
contains as many as 1,500 flowering plants, 750 species of trees, 400 species of birds and 150
species of butterflies.3

e Nature Conservancy: http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/urgentissues/rainforests/rainforests-facts.xml

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e National Science Foundations Tree of Life project estimates that there could be
anywhere from 5 million to 100 million species on the planet, but as of now, science has only
identified about 2 million.4
Rainforests are found on every continent on Earth, with the exception of Antarctica! 5 Im
sure most Americans think of South America or the Amazon when they think of rainforests,
but we have them right here in North America.e largest contiguous coastal temperate rain
forest is found along the northwestern margin of North America, from Kodiak Island in
Alaska, through British Columbia, and the U.S. Pacific Northwest, all the way down to
California's redwoods.6
With so much life in such a biodiverse and limited area, how could we even think of cutting
them down? Not to mention cutting rainforests down for things we can probably live
without. ats one part of environmental responsibility we need to start being accountable

LiveScience online: http://www.livescience.com/4593-greatest-mysteries-species-exist-earth.html

e Nature Conservancy: http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/urgentissues/rainforests/rainforests-facts.xml

Americas Rain Forests: http://rainforests.pwnet.org/4teachers/background.php

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for. We need to be morally obligated to care for more than just our own needs. We need to
care for species other than our own. Actually, we dont even take care of our own species!
When it comes to thinking holistically, or looking at the big picture, its important to think
of all life on Earth as having some value. Every creature is part of our natural ecosystem for a
reason. We each have roles to play, and when it comes down to it, nature has been the one in
charge of keeping things in balance. Humans do not have the right to make decisions that
negatively impact other species... or far worse, cause the extinction of other species. One of
my favorite philosophers, Peter Singer, states that humans are most responsible for unfair acts
onto other sentient beings. e term that best describes this best would be speciesism.
Its a term first coined by British psychologist Richard D. Ryder in 1973, to denote a
prejudice against non-humans based on physical dierences that are given moral value.7
In 1975, Peter Singer wrote, I use the word speciesism to describe the widespread
discrimination that is practiced by man against other species ... speciesism is discrimination,
and like all discrimination, it overlooks or underestimates the similarities between the
discriminator and those discriminated against." Peter Singer is one of the main reasons I felt
motivated to become a vegetarian, because I realized how wrong it is to cause harm to
innocent creatures, regardless of how far away they are farmed.
As a side note, Ive found that distance is one of the easiest ways we allow big problems to be
swept under the rug. Out of sight, out of mind as they say. As a society of city-dwellers, we
are very much out of touch with the beauty and complexity of nature. e closest many of us
get to loving an animal or another species, is by owning a pet at home. Even the little
exposure we have to a small animal at home can provide years of happiness. Imagine if we
cared for every animal as if they were our own pet...
Nature encompasses all living things and provides the resources every living creature needs to
survive. Our Earth is not simply here to provide resources for people. All wildlife on our
7

e Guardian, United Kingdom: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2005/aug/06/animalwelfare

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planet depends on the Earths resources, and in many ways, humans depend on all wildlife. It
is ridiculous to think that humans are independent of the environment.
e vast array of plants and animals in forests have inspired and encouraged many people to
become artists and scientists. e more we learn and grow around nature, the more we are
able to find value in it. Scientists, artists, architects and designers have found much
inspiration by studying and closely watching animals. Biomimicry is a great example of this.
We have created habitats, artwork, products and medical solutions, all by examining the
natural form and behavior of other living creatures. Scientists have created tape with
powerful adhesives that have been directly inspired by the suction-cup quality of a geckos
foot. ey have created stain-resistant, anti-bacterial fabrics that resist water droplets,
influenced by the surface of a lotus leaf. Outside of the forest, scientists have even looked at
the powerful hearts of humpback whales to improve the design of modern pacemakers.8
Although biomimicry has been recognized as a fairly recent design phenomenon, that is
simply not true. Humans have been learning from animals and plants for hundreds, if not
thousands of years. In the 15th century, Leonardo DaVinci took this type of mimicry further
when he was influenced by birds and created drawings that depicted flying machines. Even
the Wright brothers spent time observing birds in flight and applied some of those principles
to their airplane prototype. Biomimicry first became a formalized field of study in the
late-20th century. en, in the latter part of the 1990s, biologist Janine M. Benyus provided
a more comprehensive focus on biomimicry when she published her book, "Biomimicry:
Innovation Inspired by Nature." e book stressed nine laws of nature that she believes
should be considered in any true form of biomimetic design. e book, and ideas behind it,
seem to have taken hold. Benyus runs a non-profit organization called the Biomimicry
Institute and the for-profit Biomimicry Guild. Her goal is to educate engineers and designers
about the benefits to the corporate world of mimicking nature.9 Respecting animal life in
forests is almost endlessly beneficial, and we need to quickly realize that causing harm to
8

Brink: Inspired by Nature : Video : Science Channel

Discovery Channel - Curiosity: http://curiosity.discovery.com/question/the-history-of-biomimicry

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them may also causes harm to us.

Now lets move on to the green guys that make all fuzzy, four-legged life possible plant
life. Where should I even begin to list the incredible benefits of plant life? Well for starters,
our climate would be nowhere near as inhabitable for humans as it is now, if it were not for
trees. Trees are often referred to as the lungs of the Earth, due to their crucial role in
providing oxygen and regulating air quality. Rainforests act as the world's thermostat by
regulating temperatures and weather patterns. ey play a crucial role in the purification of
our air. When trees breathe, they absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen. When it comes
to the evolution of life, they were the reason life outside of water became possible in the first
place. We find in them a powerful tool to fight air pollution and consequently, global
warming.10
Trees alter the environment in which we live by conserving water, and providing essential
habitat for wildlife. Climate control is made possible by trees when they moderate the eects
of the sun, wind, and rain. Radiant energy from the sun is either absorbed, or deflected by
leaves on deciduous trees in the summer, and is only filtered by branches of deciduous trees
in the winter.11 Our air is vitally important to our lives and well-being. It makes absolutely
no sense for people to knowingly cause harm to the lungs of the Earth. Trees are not just
the Earths lungs, theyre ours too. Humans rely on on every breath of fresh air just as much
as a fish depends on every drop of water. e problem is, generally speaking, neither species
is actively aware or appreciative of how valuable their environment is, because they are so
used to being in it. ey are used to being able to breath and function normally, and the
luxury of life is taken for granted every day.
More than just improving our climate, trees provide an amazing array of materials and
medicines that humans rely on, and have been cultivating since prehistoric times. Important
amounts of the drugs we use are extracted from tropical plants and animals and the majority
10

Benefits of Forests and the Consequences of Deforestation: http://www.environmentforbeginners.com/content/view/

52/49/
11

Environmental Benefits of Trees: http://www.treesaregood.com/treecare/tree_benefits.aspx

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of drugs used to fight cancer are coming from there as well. Forests contain a potential source
of an amazing amount of cures, but most of it hasnt been discovered yet.12 And how about
this? One of the most commonly used medicines, aspirin, comes directly from the bark of
the birch tree. Birch bark provides an extract called salicylic acid that has been used to relieve
the pain of hundreds of millions of people.13 Human health is directly linked with the
conservation of forests and all of their complexities, and the more we know about what each
forest contains, the more value we will find in each and every one of them.
e problem today is, we are destroying more and more forests each year, and at an
increasing rate, no less. Temperate rainforests exist on almost every continent in the world,
but today only 50 percent 75 million acres of these forests remain worldwide. At the
current rate of tropical forest loss, 510 percent of tropical rainforest species will be lost per
decade.14 Rainforests are threatened by unsustainable agricultural, ranching, mining and
logging practices that are all a direct result of our selfish economic structure, and our neverending hunger for energy and material goods.
As in any case, some forests on earth have it worse than others. For instance, Nigeria has the
world's highest deforestation rate of primary forests according to deforestation figures from
the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Between 2000 and 2005 the
country lost 55.7 percent of its primary forests these are defined as forests with no visible
signs of past or present human activities. at means pure, untouched forest land. Logging,
subsistence agriculture, and the collection of fuelwood are recorded as the leading causes of
forest clearing in the West African country.15 One of the scariest moments in Nigerias
deforestation history was the destruction reaching its southeastern border. Cross River State
is a coastal state, located along southeastern Nigeria, and is named after the Cross River,
which passes through the state. It is home to the nations last remaining intact rain forest and
12

Benefits of Forests and the Consequences of Deforestation: http://www.environmentforbeginners.com/content/view/

52/49/
13

University of Alberta: http://www.biology.ualberta.ca/people/mike_harrington/biol107/aspirin/aspirin.htm

14

e Nature Conservancy: http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/urgentissues/rainforests/rainforests-facts.xml

15

Illegal-Logging online: http://www.illegal-logging.info/item_single.php?it_id=2958&it=news

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mangrove forest, both of which serve as wildlife sanctuaries for many endangered species. In
1991, the World Wide Fund for Nature, in collaboration with the Nigerian Conservation
Fund, created Cross River National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary to protect 4,000 hectares of
one of the most biologically rich ecosystems on earth. Identified by Conservation
International as a biodiversity hotspot (one of the 25 most ecologically rich and threatened
places on the planet), the park is the last protected haven for endangered wildlife and some of
the last populations of endemic plants in West Africa. e rainforests of Cross River State are
also home to 2,000 indigenous forest communities, 1.5 million residents whose livelihoods
are highly dependent on forest resources, the highest primate diversity on the planet
including the worlds most endangered gorillas, and an estimated 20 percent of the worlds
butterfly species. Despite the promise of protection, however, oil extraction and logging
corporations still pose a threat to Cross Rivers forests, mangroves, wildlife and indigenous
communities.16
For global logging companies, Nigerian forests appear to be an easy target. Environmental
regulations in the country are rarely enforced, and many ocials in the recently ousted
Abacha dictatorship were notoriously corrupt more interested in personal gain than in the
protection of Nigeria's natural resources.17 Author John F. Oates, writes about Cross River
States largest deforestation threat: Western Metal Products Company, Limited. Also known
as WEMPCO, this Hong-Kong based corporation is listed as Number 1 on the Rainforest
Action Networks Deadly 7 a list of the worst corporate destroyers of rainforest. An
excerpt from Johns book: Myth and Reality in the Rain Forest, describes WEMPCOs
unethical practices in this precious and biodiverse region:
e company, which has made much of its money in the manufacture of roofing sheets, obtained
concessions to log 209 square miles of forest in five forest reserves close to the Cross River National
Park; the largest concession is in the Cross River South Forest Reserve, immediately adjacent to the
Oban Division of the park. WEMPCO has also been negotiating deals with many village
16

Global Greengrants Fund: http://www.greengrants.org/2004/08/03/nigeria-victory-for-cross-river-state/

17

Goldman Environmental Prize website: http://www.goldmanprize.org/2003/africa

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communities for access to timber on their land. As part of its agreements with village communities,
WEMPCO has oered to build clinics and schools, provide college scholarships, and support
football teams.
Most disturbingly, WEMPCO has constructed a large sawmill with associated plywood and veneer
production plants on the banks of the river Cross, close to the town of Ikom. is factory was
completed in 1996, following planning that apparently began in 1992. e factory is said to have
cost $5 million to construct, and it is strategically located within twenty-five miles of the
boundaries of the five forest reserves where WEMPCO has concessions, and midway between the
Oban and Okwangwo Divisions of the national park.
e Nigerian federal government now requires environmental impact assessments (EIAs) for
projects such as this. An EIA of WEMPCOs plans was produced, and it concluded that the
operations would not have adverse environmental consequences. But this assessment (done for
profit by a Lagos consultancy firm) was widely regarded as superficial and probably tailored to
WEMPCOs needs; it was produced after the completion of the wood-processing plant.
In response to an outcry from a coalition of local environmental groups, NIgerias Federal
Environmental Protection Agency has not allowed WEMPCOs logging operations to proceed and
the agency is conducting its own environmental impact assessment of the logging plans. However,
the operation of the wood-processing plant has been approved, and to feed this plant WEMPCO
has been buying timber from communities and illegal loggers, whom the company is said to have
provided with chainsaws and other assistance. Meanwhile, WEMPCO has made threats against
conservationists in the state and taken some of them to court on trumped-up charges.18
ese immoral acts of destruction by WEMPCO did not go unnoticed, and thankfully,
members of surrounding communities have stood up against this corporation. In 2003,
Odigha Odigha, a Nigerian forest activist and educator, won the Goldman Environmental
Prize for his eorts in leading the campaign against destructive industrial logging in the
18

Oates, John F. "Cross River National Park." Myth and Reality in the Rain Forest: How Conservation Strategies Are failing
in West Africa. Berkeley, CA: University of California, 1999. pg 171. Print.
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forests of Cross River State. With a democratic government now in place, Odigha has
returned to his public role leading forest protection campaigns. In 2001, he helped form the
U.S.-based West Africa Forest Network to put international pressure on WEMPCO and the
Nigerian government. e Goldman Environmental Prize website states:
He continues to lobby the national government for stronger forest protections and is exploring legal
strategies if enforcement of existing laws continues to be lax or non-existent. As long as the
government fails to protect the forests and forest communities, and WEMPCO continues to wreak
devastation, Odigha will be fighting to protect what remains of Nigeria's precious rainforests.19
e work of Odigha, supporting grassroots organizations and many other members of the
Nigerian community, have proven successful over time. A recent groundbreaking decision by
Cross River States former governor, Mr. Donald Duke, oers a perfect example of how
grassroots organizations can work together to promote change at the local, state, and national
level while safeguarding Nigerias precious natural resources. On July 7, 2004 Western Metal
Products Company (WEMPCO), a Hong-Kong corporation, was ordered to close down its
logging operations and evacuate the area. is decision was a major breakthrough for Nigeria
and made it possible for multiple parties to receive Greengrants. ese are grants provided by
the Global Greengrants Fund that seed environmental action. Grantees included Biakwan
Light, NGO Coalition for the Environment (NGOCE) and the Rainforest Resource
Development Center (RRDC). ey have led a long battle to stop WEMPCOs illegal
practices and protect the largest remaining ancient rainforest and mangrove forests in western
Africa. Although the fight is not over much depends on enforcement of the decision. Either
way, this was a huge victory for Cross River States forests.20
Organizations like the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Rainforest Alliance have been
established to respond to concerns over global deforestation. e FSC has a certification
program that provides a credible link between responsible production and consumption of
19

e Goldman Environmental Prize website: http://www.goldmanprize.org/2003/africa

20

Global Greengrants Fund: http://www.greengrants.org/2004/08/03/nigeria-victory-for-cross-river-state/

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forest products, enabling consumers and business to make purchasing decisions that benefit
people and the environment as well as providing ongoing business value.21 e Rainforest
Alliance also has a certification program that is helping communities and businesses reduce
deforestation, plant new trees, earn sustainable livelihoods and adapt to changing climatic
conditions. rough certification and verification, they provide forest managers, farmers and
tourism business with the tools to conserve their resources and ensure that they are
complying with rigorous environmental, social and economic standards.22
If we are part of a consumer culture, we need to be more responsible consumers. Most
importantly, that means consciously consuming less. When we find the need to consume, we
need to buy certified products. In addition to conscious consumption, businesses around the
world need to consider what is known as the triple bottom line: people, planet, and profit.
e triple bottom line captures an expanded spectrum of values and criteria for measuring
organizational and societal success: social, ecological, and economic.23 It is possible to benefit
from our own responsibility and it is possible to make educated decisions. ose decisions
can benefit the sustained well-being of all individuals, businesses, nations and wildlife. As
time goes on, we continue to learn more about the worlds forests and realize how valuable
they really are. If we preserve our most precious resources and biodiverse regions, we will
continue to be educated and inspired by the incredible Earth in which we live.

21

Forest Stewardship Council - About: http://www.fsc.org/about-fsc.html

22

Rainforest Alliance: http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/about/climate

23

Triple bottom line - Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple_bottom_line

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