Archive for May 21, 2011
Amazon rainforest deforestation rises sharply
May 21st
Brazil: Amazon rainforest deforestation rises sharply
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-13449792
“Deforestation of the Brazilian Amazon rainforest has increased almost sixfold, new data suggests.”
“Last December, a government report said deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon had fallen to its lowest rate for 22 years.”
“Proponents of change say the law impedes economic development and contend that Brazil must open more land for agriculture.”
Trees are the primary trigger mechanism for a reverse trend in global warming. The earth’s orbit and tilt provide the background conditions but are not enough to provide the tipping point on their own. Yes, this is theoretical but the best information we have at the moment and the moment for action is rapidly slipping away. Actually, it may have already passed and we may have missed a whole glacial/interglacial period.
Waiting for certainty is not a solution. Think about it. When the medical doctor suggests a treatment based on his/her judgement, you don’t disregard it because there is no certainty. We are dealing here with Gaia, a living organism. There are so many aspects of living organism behaviour that just don’t fit into the scientific instrumentation parameters. That doesn’t make them invalid.
On another note, isn’t it about time that we get together and consider planetary rights? Does a sovereign nation have the right to destroy that which is shared and that which is vital to the welfare of all lifeforms in the planet? Personally, I don’t honour the rights of another country to poison the air I breathe and the water needed for my body and the food I must consume.