We don't need to
ask experts to know that our planet is slipping into a deep crisis. We
see daily news of people dying from increasing natural disasters all
over the world - floods, hurricanes, storms, droughts, heat waves, and
earthquakes. We feel the weather in each approaching season getting
extreme - hotter, colder, dryer, or wetter. We hear reports of an
alarming rate of animal, insect, and plant species on the brink of
extinction. And we fear the spread of deadly viruses that have surfaced
among animals as well as humans. It's irrefutable that global warming
has already set in motion the detrimental effects around the globe. How
many more lives and billions of dollars in damages will it take for
businesses and political leaders to take full responsibility in carrying
out drastic measures to save our planet?
Global warming is
caused by the excessive amount of trapped greenhouse gasses in the
atmosphere. Human activities have been blamed for 95% of global warming -
75% of annual CO2 emissions from burning of fossil fuels (oil, coal,
and natural gas) and 20% from cutting and burning of forests (trees trap
and store carbon). The scientists claimed in just 10 years' time the
Earth's temperature will rise by 2°C above the average Earth's
temperature, a tipping point-of-no-return. The consequences of such an
increase could lead to widespread water shortages and major droughts,
agricultural failures, loss of forests, epidemic diseases, and rising
sea level. The ultimate climax would be the melting of the polar caps,
triggering the cooling effect throughout the globe to advance the
onslaught of another ice age. After earlier warnings have turned into realities, why would anyone doubt the scientific conclusions now?
The urgency in
dealing with the global warming phenomenon no longer allows world
leaders and corporations to continue their lackadaisical attitude in
tackling severe environmental problems. Many governments have already
been bombarded with numerous social and health problems caused by
natural disasters, and some businesses have already suffered immense
losses directly and indirectly related to these natural catastrophes.
The wailing cries of Mother Nature will only worsen as the Earth's
temperature edges upward in the coming years. How much more proof do
they need to understand that dire actions are the only options left to
alleviate the escalating global warming effects?
Since the
Industrial Revolution in the mid-1800s, humans have been so preoccupied
with improving their living conditions that they have been callously
plundering the natural resources of this planet without a single thought
of the consequences for the natural environment, diverse
co-inhabitants, or the whole fragile ecosystem of the Earth. As
civilizations become more complex, sophisticated, and technologically
advanced, science has enabled humanity to understand that their precious
surroundings are based on the equilibrium of interconnected ecosystems.
If one ecosystem falters, it would instantaneously prompt the collapses
of other ecosystems.
Common sense tells
us as the human population grows and the use of fossil fuels soars
around the world - we must plant more trees to absorb superfluous carbon
dioxide in the air. Instead, deforestation has been the routine of some
companies that aggressively pursue profits at all cost. Evidently, some
self-serving political leaders, supported by profit-driven
corporations, seem indifferent or reluctant to implement effective
measures against the ongoing destruction of our environment.
In the Earth's
teeming biosphere, forests play a pertinent role in regulating the
balance of nature - preventing soil erosion, moderating world climate,
and maintaining natural habitats for biodiversity. The loss of trees,
which anchor the soil with their roots, leads to widespread erosion as
riverbeds rise, increasing the severity of floods. When a heavy load of
sediment dumps into the ocean, it not only badly damages mangrove
forests but also destroys coral reefs, indirectly affecting coastal
fisheries. In addition, denuding the forests strikes a heavy blow to
human welfare, for plants - some of which are located only in forests -
serve as the primary source of medicine for three-quarters of the
world's population.
To keep the
Earth's atmospheric carbon in check, trees convert carbon dioxide into
oxygen through the process of photosynthesis. Within just two centuries,
billion tons of greenhouse gases have been spewing into the atmosphere
by burning fossil fuels, subsequently destabilizing the global weather
system. As a result, the physical evidence of global warming is seen
everywhere - the frequency and intensity of extreme weather, sea-level
rising, and shrinking glaciers at the poles, including the melting
snowcap of Mount Everest.
Rainforests,
covering only 6 percent of the planet's surface, perform two important
roles - function as a climate monitor by regulating rainfall to cool the
tropical regions and prevent desertification; and provide the breeding
grounds for biodiversity. Clearing and burning rainforest not only adds
vast amounts of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere but also causes the
luscious paradise to desiccate, as observed in arid Madagascar after
years of severe deforestation. A widespread deforestation could end up
with a significant decline of precipitation, which in turn could hasten
the expansion of desiccation throughout the globe. As statistics slowly
trickled in, the deforested areas of West African countries have shown
declining annual rainfalls in the last decade.
The biological
wealth of Earth lies in the fate of the tropical forests as the single
colossal reservoir of biodiversity on this planet. The rainforests
sustain about 50% of all species on Earth. Without the presence of
variety and abundance of species, the ecological imbalance of nature
would result in devastating consequences for all life forms. Because of
the drastically climatic changes and the dramatic loss of natural
habitats, extinctions of species are occurring not only on a massive
scale but also at an unprecedented accelerating pace. According to the
World Resources Institute, 100 species become extinct every day due to
tropical deforestation.
Without a doubt,
industrial logging is the primary cause of global deforestation,
converting trees into pulp, wood and paper products at an alarming rate
within the last three decades. As the wealthy nations continue to
exploit the underdeveloped countries for their natural resources, 78% of
the world's ancient forests have already been destroyed or degraded,
according to the World Resources Institute. Although logging techniques
have improved and a growing international awareness of the plight of
rainforests, unsustainable logging of tropical rainforests persists
without any concrete policies of replanting trees for future harvests,
preventing forest fires, losing biodiversity, tackling poaching, or
banning farmers from clearing wooded areas for plantations. After having
depleted their own countries' tropical forests, some Asian
multinational logging corporations are encroaching the last remaining
forest wilderness in South America while stepping up their logging of
the Congo Basin, the South Pacific, and Central America.
Worse still,
illegal logging is rampant - surreptitiously supported by corrupt
officers or poorly managed by government officials of developing
nations. Environmental groups claimed that illegal logging has been
expanding worldwide, naming some of the countries - Indonesia, Papua New
Guinea, Malaysia, Burma, Philippines, Cambodia, Russia, Bulgaria,
Slovakia, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Congo, Cameroon, and Brazil. One
well-known example of deforestation, as much as 90% of the timber cut in
Indonesia is illegally harvested. Two indigenous species - orangutan
and Sumatran tiger (found only in Borneo and Sumatra, respectively) -
are now threatened with extinction. Many of these countries finally
realized that the scale of illegal logging often exceeded legal logging
and that they suffered major losses of revenues as the price of timber
dropped due to the flooding of illegal timber in the global market.
The blame of
destroying the natural forests doesn't just fall on the obvious parties -
avaricious timber companies, political leaders with poor governance,
and corrupt officers - but on the consumers. After all, the trees are
cut to use for mass consumption. It is for our needs that drive these
timber companies to exploit the sacred forests. Being ignorant or
uncaring is no longer an excuse for buying wood products without knowing
where the wood originated. Purchasing cheaper wood products (most
likely illegal) would only bring doom to the precious forests. Despite
the overpopulation of the Third World countries, the growing populations
in wealthy industrialized nations are actually responsible for much of
the exploitation of the Earth. In fact, the bottom 20% poorest countries
consume only 1.3% compared to the top 20% richest nations that consume
86% of world resources.
Common sense tells
us limited natural resources will eventually be depleted if nothing is
done to replenish them. Instead, we seek out the last pristine
frontiers, such as Alaska and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to
drill for oil or South America to log timber. Although the world leaders
recently have feebly agreed to curb about 3-5% emissions of greenhouse
gases worldwide at the Kyoto Protocol, the scientists declared that it
was significantly not enough - 60% cut is needed in every nation to
prevent the onslaught of global warming. The United States under the
Bush administration, the biggest polluter (25% of world's emissions) not
only shunned the Kyoto Protocol but also snubbed the call to halt
illegal logging for 'economic reasons' at the G8 world meeting. With
this kind of national protectionism against the world's concerns,
perhaps Bush with several allies invaded Iraq for the same 'economic
reasons' - to control the oil reserves in the Middle East. If the
Iraq War is any indication of a few nations fighting over oil reserves
in the world, one could imagine what would happen when the Earth is down
to its last bit of oil or timber.
As technology
becomes more sophisticated and advanced, man has the means more than
ever to stop the detrimental collapse of the Earth's ecosystem. The most
sensible solution is to seek renewable energy sources to replace fossil
fuel, such as solar, wind, and biomass. Renewable energy sources have
already proven to be clean and effective, such as homes powered by solar
panels or wind turbines. In addition, to produce recyclable products is
essential, not a choice, in order to preserve the remaining natural
resources. If man could send a robot powered by solar cells to roam Mars, why can't he build a solar car to run on Earth?
We have reached a
turning point where the future of the world depends on our generation to
correct the havoc humans created on this planet. Drastic times call for
drastic measures: 1) ban all timber industries - substitute wood for
houses with other building materials, and recycle all paper products; 2)
join Wangari Maathai, winner of the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize, in her
crusade of planting trees in every part of the world; 3) governments
must immediately enforce companies to manufacture recyclable products,
and invest heavily in research on renewable energy sources for practical
purposes; and 4) consumers must conserve and use only recyclable
products.
(First published on UniOrb.com, April 2005)