What are the benefits of rainforest
deforestation?
Kevin Rose
The deforestation of rainforests, especially, the Amazon rainforest is usually thought of as a negative issue. Everyone thinks how it will negatively affect the world. It costs the world. However, there are plenty of benefits of rainforest deforestation.
The Amazon rainforest is the world's largest tropical rainforest. It covers approximately 2 1/3 millions square miles in South America. About two thirds of the rainforest lies in Brazil, but it occupies parts of eight other countries. The Amazon rainforest contains a variety of plants and animals unyet discovered. There are tens of thousands of plants that live there. The Amazon River runs through the rainforest and is home to more than 3,000 known fish.
The deforestation of the rainforest started on a main scale in the 1940's when Brazilian president Getulio Vargas vowed to build his countries economy by vanquishing its mightiest resource, he Amazon river valley. He said, "Nothing will prevent us from accomplishing...the highest task of civilized men: the conquest and dominion of great valleys of equatorial torrents, transforming their blind force and extraordinary fertility into disciplined energy. The Amazon with the impulse of our will, and of our effort, and of our work...will become a chapter in the history of civilization." Since then, more than 200,000 square miles of the Amazon has been cleared, around 10% of the whole rainforest. By the 1970's and 1980's enormous tracts of tropical rainforest were being destroyed.
Today, the Amazon rainforest is being hacked, bulldozed, and burnt for farms, highways, cattle ranches, and newly settlements.
Nevertheless, the deforestation has many benefits. The area around the Amazon rainforest has widespread poverty, yet the Amazon is heavy in mineral resources for economic growth. It could provide land to million of homeless peasants. It could provide employment for those who harvest wood, or products of the environment. Ranchers, herbalists, rubber tappers, and hunters are just a few that are able to use the Amazon's resources. Many economically valuable plants live in the Amazon such as: Brazil nuts, cocoa, curare (an important drug), pineapples, and rubber. Countries would benefit with the exportation of the rainforest goods.
The deforestation of the Amazon causes many fallen trees. This is, and can be, used as lumber. There is possibly no other group of natural products important in economic growth as lumber products. Logging rainforest timber is a large economic source, and in many cases, the main source of revenues for servicing the national debt of developing countries. Numerous other products of the Amazon like gum, dyes, nuts, and lianas have become solidly established throughout the world. Currently, 121 prescription drugs currently sold worldwide come from plant-derived sources, mainly from rainforests. Brazil sits on one of the world’s largest reserves of iron ore and has ample gold, semiprecious and precious stones, natural gas and oil reserves as well.
By putting people to work on rainforest projects, this
creates an economic solution that benefits all. The people benefit since
they are being put to work, and would be paid. The country would benefit
since they would export the good the people are making. The benefits of deforestation
outweigh the costs.