GLOBE WARMS : RAINFORESTS BURN

[Anonymous]

Globe warms: rainforests burn
Forest fires rage across Indonesia and Brazil
A
Greenpeace team has investigated and documented the forest fires in
Sumatra, Indonesia, which have now become an annual phenomenon, thanks
to the effects of unsustainable logging, and are the cause of a thick
smog-like haze over the entire region which threatens the health of
millions of people and adds to the problem of climate change.A
Greenpeace team has investigated and documented the forest fires in
Sumatra, Indonesia, which have now become an annual phenomenon, thanks
to the effects of unsustainable logging, and are the cause of a thick
smog-like haze over the entire region which threatens the health of
millions of people and adds to the problem of climate change.
Enlarge Image

International
— In what is becoming an annual event, fires are sweeping through the
tropical rainforests of Indonesia and Brazil. The burning of the
rainforests not only threaten biodiversity in the affected areas but,
by contributing towards climate change, they also put the entire planet
at risk.In tropical latitudes, months pass without any rain and in the
dry season forests become susceptible to fire. These can occur
naturally and would normally not pose a serious problem, but clearing
land as a result of logging or to make way for plantations is
exacerbating the problem and every year the fires spread faster and
further.

Greenpeace teams in both Indonesia and Brazil have
recorded the scale of the infernos and are clear about the reasons why
they are happening. Much of the forests in the Indonesian province of
Riau in Sumatra are peatland forests, so normally protected from fire
by their boggy environment, but industrial activity has changed all
that. The forests are being cleared for plantations of oil palms and
acacia pulpwood for paper, creating the perfect conditions for fires at
the same time.”Once these peat swamps are exposed due to logging,”
Greenpeace forest campaigner Hapsoro explained, “they dry out like a
wet sponge exposed to sunlight and become extremely flammable. Once it
starts burning, it’s very difficult to stop without heavy rain.”The
effects of the Indonesian fire also spread across the region. Smoke
drifts across South East Asia, clogging the air above the Malaysian
peninsular and incurring the wrath of neighbouring governments, and
Hapsoro urged the Indonesian authorities to take urgent measures. “The
Indonesian government must seriously reconsider allowing any type of
land clearing to be done in these areas to minimise the possibility of
large and uncontrolled forest fires,” he said.
       
In the
Brazilian Amazon, fires have been witnessed in several protected areas
and the Greenpeace team sent to investigate also saw rampant
deforestation and illegal logging. In the Jamanzim National Forest,
using natural resources responsibly is permitted, but intense logging
activity has been observed within protected areas.Both regions boast
some of the most diverse varieties of plant and animal life anywhere in
the world but fragile habitats, already under pressure from human
activities, are being pushed even harder by the increasing number and
scale of the fires.

Rest of the world suffers too
Rainforests
play a vital role in regulating the global climate and the more trees
that are felled, the more unpredictable the climate will
become.Tropical deforestation accounts for around 20 percent of global
carbon dioxide emissions, a staggering amount that explains why 75
percent of Brazil’s own carbon dioxide contribution comes from forest
conversion.But with drought plaguing many areas – such as last year’s
catastrophic event in the Amazon – the forests dry out and become even
more susceptible to fire. This in turn releases more carbon dioxide and
smog into the atmosphere, accelerating climate change and the cycle of
destruction continues.This isn’t just a problem for Brazil and
Indonesia but for the whole planet. Concrete efforts must be made at a
local level to protect rainforests from illegal logging and conversion
to plantations, but there must also be international support to back
this up. Sustainable management of the forests allows local communities
to support themselves and make a living.

[Author]

September 25, 2006 at 11:22 AM