The Concern of Deforestation in Todays Society Essay -- Deforestation

Deforestation is a major concern in today’s society. The destruction of the world’s forest areas are leaving millions of acres uninhabitable. The varied species of animals and insects that use to live and thrive from these forests are rapidly becoming extinct. The destruction of the forest is also having a detrimental effect on the people through displacement thus forcing them to seek new living accommodations. Many of these people are loosing their heritage and cultures leaving them with a sense of hopelessness. The barren land left by deforestation is also causing many ecological problems. Increased flooding and soil erosion are two of the other problems facing several countries like China, Brazil, and the Philippines. To gain a better understanding of the immense significance of this matter perhaps a look at the past, present and future are needed. Deforestation â€Å"Past† Since the beginning of time humans have used nature’s resources to exist. They have hunted for food, drunk the water, used animal hides for clothing and even used the timber for warmth and homes. It was not until the twentieth century that man began to realize the effects of their enormous usage on the environment. Although staples like food and water are a problem in them selves, large-scale logging brought deforestation to the forefront.  · The World Rainforest Movement suggests that Western Europe, for example, has lost over 70 percent of its forests since Roman times and argues that fully one-third of â€Å"temperate broadleaved forests have been lost since the dawn of agriculture† (Elliott, 1998).  · In 1901 President Theodore Roosevelt along with Gifford Pinchot and John Muir wrote the first pages of modern environmental history in the United States by moving environmental conservation to the center of national agenda and declaring public primacy over the nations resources (Shabecoff, 1993).  · In 1933 President Franklin Roosevelt shored up his cousins beliefs in the environment by including major conservation programs and projects such as The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), the Soil Conservation Service, and the Tennessee Valley Authority into his New Deal reforms (Theodore, Theodore 1996).  · The President’s Commission on Materials Policy in 1952 estimated that 90 percent of the virgin timber in the U.S. commercial forests had been cut, that reforestation ... ...ces that cause more severe environmental impacts or problems. The unanswered question is weather such a hope is realistic in the face of the impersonal, price-driven forces of global markets and the reality that even the best production processes today still require the use of growing amounts of materials, energy and the continued transformation of the landscape for the expanding human population. References Elliott, Lorraine. 1998. The Global Politics of the Environment. New York, N.Y. New York University Press. Shabecoff, P.A. 1993. Fierce Green Fire. New York, N.Y. Hill and Wang Mercuro, Nicholas. 1997. Ecology, Law and Economics, Lanham, Maryland. University Press of America, Inc. U.S. Council on Environmental Quality. 1990. Environmental Quality 1990. Washington, D.C. Government Printing Office Andrews, Richard N. L. 1999. Managing the Environment, Managing Ourselves. Binghamton, New York. Vail-Ballou Press Wagner, Richard H. 1998. Environment and Man (6th ed.). New York, N.Y. W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. Theodore, Mary K., Theodore, Lewis. 1996. Major Environmental Issues Facing the 21st Century. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. Prentice-Hall, Inc. The Concern of Deforestation in Today's Society Essay -- Deforestation Deforestation is a major concern in today’s society. The destruction of the world’s forest areas are leaving millions of acres uninhabitable. The varied species of animals and insects that use to live and thrive from these forests are rapidly becoming extinct. The destruction of the forest is also having a detrimental effect on the people through displacement thus forcing them to seek new living accommodations. Many of these people are loosing their heritage and cultures leaving them with a sense of hopelessness. The barren land left by deforestation is also causing many ecological problems. Increased flooding and soil erosion are two of the other problems facing several countries like China, Brazil, and the Philippines. To gain a better understanding of the immense significance of this matter perhaps a look at the past, present and future are needed. Deforestation â€Å"Past† Since the beginning of time humans have used nature’s resources to exist. They have hunted for food, drunk the water, used animal hides for clothing and even used the timber for warmth and homes. It was not until the twentieth century that man began to realize the effects of their enormous usage on the environment. Although staples like food and water are a problem in them selves, large-scale logging brought deforestation to the forefront.  · The World Rainforest Movement suggests that Western Europe, for example, has lost over 70 percent of its forests since Roman times and argues that fully one-third of â€Å"temperate broadleaved forests have been lost since the dawn of agriculture† (Elliott, 1998).  · In 1901 President Theodore Roosevelt along with Gifford Pinchot and John Muir wrote the first pages of modern environmental history in the United States by moving environmental conservation to the center of national agenda and declaring public primacy over the nations resources (Shabecoff, 1993).  · In 1933 President Franklin Roosevelt shored up his cousins beliefs in the environment by including major conservation programs and projects such as The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), the Soil Conservation Service, and the Tennessee Valley Authority into his New Deal reforms (Theodore, Theodore 1996).  · The President’s Commission on Materials Policy in 1952 estimated that 90 percent of the virgin timber in the U.S. commercial forests had been cut, that reforestation ... ...ces that cause more severe environmental impacts or problems. The unanswered question is weather such a hope is realistic in the face of the impersonal, price-driven forces of global markets and the reality that even the best production processes today still require the use of growing amounts of materials, energy and the continued transformation of the landscape for the expanding human population. References Elliott, Lorraine. 1998. The Global Politics of the Environment. New York, N.Y. New York University Press. Shabecoff, P.A. 1993. Fierce Green Fire. New York, N.Y. Hill and Wang Mercuro, Nicholas. 1997. Ecology, Law and Economics, Lanham, Maryland. University Press of America, Inc. U.S. Council on Environmental Quality. 1990. Environmental Quality 1990. Washington, D.C. Government Printing Office Andrews, Richard N. L. 1999. Managing the Environment, Managing Ourselves. Binghamton, New York. Vail-Ballou Press Wagner, Richard H. 1998. Environment and Man (6th ed.). New York, N.Y. W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. Theodore, Mary K., Theodore, Lewis. 1996. Major Environmental Issues Facing the 21st Century. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. Prentice-Hall, Inc.