Is the World in Grave Danger?

• Increase in Global warming and Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions

• Tropical rainforests are disappearing causing alterations to the climate

• Each day at least 80,000 acres (32,300) hectares of these forests disappear from the earth

• Ozone depletion

• Forest fires (release about 370 million tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere every year)

• Deforestation rates in the Amazon Rainforests have not slowed

Economic Implications

• Industries are over-using and over-cutting trees for prosperity and mostly for profit

• Rapid globalization around the world is a major concern

• Increase in Supply & Demand

• Since the population around the world is constantly growing on a daily basis, many corporations are clearing forests to build infrastructures

• Poverty stricken countries give their natural resources away to earn foreign currency to pay off loans

• Biofuels are produced from renewable resources such as: plants and organic waste and can be used as an alternative to fossil fuels

• Palm oil plantations are posed as a major threat• Destroying habitats of orangutans and other wildlife• Orangutans spend about 80-90% of their time in the trees• Demand for biofuels is on the rise

Deforestation in Brazil Brazil looses the largest area of forest cover annually

Increase in Tropical Deforestation Around the World

Controversial Topic: Construction of the Red Hill Creek Expressway Project-

Hamilton, Ontario

Major Deforestation in Brazil

~~~ If everybody does not stay ignorant and take little steps or solutions to prevent deforestation from occurring in the future, then overall we all will have a better world to live in. ~~~

• Reduce wasteful land use practices• Improve already developed lands• Businesses and corporations have to be more aware of the effects

that deforestation causes and they have to take little initiatives to prevent it from increasing

• Governments have to make citizens aware of the issue• Each person can plant trees once in a while to maintain the

ecosystem• Groups can be formed to decrease deforestation• The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Global Forest Watch Canada

(GFWC) are groups that have already been formed to prevent deforestation

References• “A World Imperiled: Forces behind forest loss.” Mongabay. Online. Available.

http://rainforests.mongabay.com/0801.htm

• Astor, Michael. “Global Warming could transform Amazon into savanna in 100 years: researchers.” Canadian Press. 29 Dec. 2006. pg. A12

• Brummit, Chris. “Biofuel boom has hidden costs; producing palm oil for biofuels is boosting Indonesia’s economy, but the resulting deforestation contributes to global warming and is destroying the habitat of orangutans and other wildlife.” Record, The (Kitchener/Cambridge/Waterloo, ON). 19 Sept. 2007. pg. A5

• Butler, Rhett. “Regional Deforestation”. Mongabay. 1994-2007. Online. Available. http://photos.mongabay.com/07/regional_defor.jpg

• Forge, Frederic. “Biofuels- An Energy, Environmental or Agricultural Policy?”. Library of Parliament- Parliamentary Information and Research Service. Online. Available. http://www.parl.ca/information/library/PRBpubs/prb0637-e.htm

• Friends of Red Hill Valley. Online. Available. http://www.hwcn.org/~forhv/expressway/expresswaytitlepage.htm

• Hagan, Kevin. “Deforestation: An International Crisis.” Online. Available. http://www.american.edu/TED/projects/tedcross/xdefor21.htm

• “Share of tropical deforestation”. Mongabay. 2000-2005. Online. Available.

http://photos.mongabay.com/07/trop_defor_pie-max.jpg

• Suzuki, David. “Forest protection vital to stem Global Warming.” Western Star, The (Corner Book,NL). 19 May. 2007. pg 12.