Trees. They're kind of a big deal here on Earth, but we don't always realize how important they are until they start to disappear. In other words, deforestation happens. This is the removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is converted into non-forest use.
It occurs for many reasons: trees can be cut down and sold for fuel or timber, and the cleared land can be used as a pasture for livestock, plantations, and settlements. However, the overwhelming direct cause of deforestation is agriculture. One of the main places this problem is occurring is in the Amazon Rain Forest.
Understandably, the media covers this topic in a negative light because deforestation is bad. We portray it in a tragic way to show we need to do something about this issue. The environment is important to us and we need to keep it flourishing for generations to come.
Reuters shows that efforts to decrease deforestation are not working. I know that timber is needed for many every day uses such as firewood and paper, but we need to be replanting trees at a higher rate so deforestation doesn't become a dire situation. Here is a video to show the time lapse of deforestation in this area:
This issue has important media purposes and economic foundations as well. The point of covering deforestation in the media, is to give out information on what's happening in the environment around the world. When there are stories on this issue, organizations are looking for donations and support from corporations and the government as well.
Some international organizations involved with conserving rain forests and deforestation are:
Deforestation is definitely a huge issue today, and I think the Amazon is the place that we hear about it happening in most. The way that the media puts the issue of deforestation and conservation on the public agenda is really fascinating. In most cases of the general American public, we've never been to the Amazon and probably never will. But this issue impacts us because of the message that the media portrays. Without the reporting on this issue by the media, the public would definitely be significantly less concerned about it because we most likely wouldn't even know about it. Great insight into the way media affects our view of the issue of deforestation, Blair!
ReplyDeleteDeforestation definitely has been an on-going problem that you hear about in school or in the media but after reading this post, I do realize now that not much advertisements out there are really pushing for people to do anything, merely just informing us about it. I've literally had so many classes on the issue since middle school, yet no one has told us what we can do to help. I really like the time-lapse video that you posted, that was very helpful and eye-opening. I do feel like you could maybe add a little more about what the consequences of these major losses of trees would be though!
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