Cheap cattle land. This is the biggest reason that most of the Amazon Rainforest and other forests of South America have been destroyed. America is a great country and residents of other countries want to live like us. Unfortunately, we are seeing that as Americans, we are wasteful and destructive. If everyone lived like we do, we would be out of resources in a very short while indeed. Still, countries with smaller economies are seeing an influx of meat eating in their diets, as people have figured out they can destroy forest land for cattle production. Then top that off with leather and other cattle products that can be exported to westerners for some quick cash, and you have a recipe for deforestation. There is little that can be done, except to watch carefully and use less of the products that are supporting this destruction, and buy more that support the rainforests as they stand. We simply can’t tell other countries not to try and be like us, as we continue to use all the resources and get fat.
The reasons for trying to slow the deforestation of the Amazon are plentiful. First off, it can never be brought back, and we don’t know what we are destroying. As America expanded some 100-150 years ago, our craving for Mahogany led to the complete destruction of the Mahogany forests of Madagascar. We do not even know what species of life were lost to the planet because of this forest loss, and we never will. The Amazon rainforest faces a similar dilemma. While so much of it has not been truly explored, there are many species of animal and plant life that exist that we know nothing about. Every year hundreds of new species and sub species of life are discovered around the globe. New frogs and amphibians in Central and South America. In parts of Asia, there are even tribes of humans that have never seen a westerner. If we continue down this path of destruction, what creatures and plants are we destroying that we will never get back? And what benefits to mankind might they have given us?
Darwin's Rhea illustration
When Charles Darwin explored South America he discovered that there were two forms of Rheas on the continent. The smaller species was elusive and hard to find. Fast forward nearly 200 years, and the Darwin Rhea is facing threatened status. As with much of the planet’s wildlife, their demise is being hastened not by direct over-hunting or poaching, but by habitat destruction. In order to have the latest trendy fashions at reasonable prices, and the white leather sofas that we so desperately need to survive, we are encouraging the residents of these regions to slash and burn large areas of natural beauty and replace it with herds of cattle. Not only are we losing valuable vegetation that helps to slow global warming, but we are adding to greenhouse gasses as we do so.
So what can you do? Take the time to look at the things you buy. Can you get a couch made of natural fibers or man made leather substitutes that are not harmful to the environment? Where are the shoes you are buying sourcing their materials? Can you do without that new leather jacket? Just take a minute to think about where you fit into the global economy and what you are saying with the purchases that you make. Every dollar spent is a vote for something, and what are you voting for?
