It
is believed by many ecologists that some tropical rainforests can be harvested
without causing damage to the great variety of plants and animals that live
there. The key is careful planning, sensitive harvesting, and appropriate
measures to ensure healthy new forests are regenerated.
We could help prevent the destruction by not buying furniture products made from
rosewood, mahogany, ebony, and teakwood, because they most likely came from the
rainforests.
If we wish to become more involved with protection of the rainforests, it is
possible to adopt acres of rainforest land. For only $45, you can adopt one acre
of rainforest. Your contribution funds land acquisition, legal fees, and
security costs to ensure that acre will be protected as part of a designated
land preserve.
Eco-tourism programs are available for those who adopt so that they may see
their land and experience the true beauty of the forests.
Boycotts can really help to protect
the forest. Companies such as Mitsubishi, who are helping to fund oil pipeline
projects that build pipelines directly through rainforest land, may consider
stopping their actions if their customers show concern. Although it appears as
though everyone can help protect the forests, in order for their long-term
existence, the local people who are used to burning and cultivating, logging,
and hunting must learn the alternatives to the traditional, destructive
occupations.
Ecology is not about saving a tree here and a river there; rather, it is about
the complex system that governs how things work together. Tropical &
Temperate Rainforests and all other forests are very important, if we want to
protect them, we must learn to use them with care. We must understand how forest
ecosystems work, and how our everyday decisions effect their well-being.
|
