Indeed, tropical forest is a victim of a spiritual crisis in humanity. The destruction of tropical forest reflects an all too-widespread willingness to submit to an economic determinism every bit as rigid as that of Marx.
Egbert Giles Leigh Jr. (1)
Rain Forest Destruction,
Madagascar
Photo: Jonathan TalbotWorld Resources Institute, 2003
We learn from Columbia Encyclopedia that in very early times forests covered virtually the whole land surface of the Earth, apart from the areas of perpetual snow (such as the north pole). (2)
And as recently as 19 th century, tropical rain forests in their own right covered around 20% of all the dry land area of the Earth, but this figure was only 7% by the end of the 20 th century. (3)
Probably the main fundamental factor that has been invariably pushing rain forest destruction more and more over the decades and indeed centuries, is the demand for the rain forest as a enormous economic and social resource.
First of all, tropical rain forests are “treasure troves of nature” – they contain endless supplies of resources widely used in human societies, such as food, timber, raw materials etc.
Second, rain forests cover huge swathes of land. And the land has always been a limited resource required for accommodation of ever growing human populations.
Thomas C on 16 Sep 09Food chains-use it!
