The tragic oil spill within the Gulf of Mexico is a huge warning call for all of us. We all have to cautiously contemplate the negative effect the actions of corporations and individuals are having on our world’s ecological system. A lot has been written and will continue to be written about BP and the PR nightmare it created itself through the record oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. However you might not have been told that there is a different ongoing environmental controversy centered around the issue of deforestation and a company called Asia Pulp and Paper (APP). Small businesses and organizations in all places can learn an important lesson from the situation APP finds itself in. APP is a division in the mega business, Sinar Mas, and refers to itself as one of the earth’s foremost pulp and paper companies.
APP has of late been connected to being a major contributor to deforestation. Deforestation, man-caused loss of naturally occurring forests by means of logging or burning, is a huge crisis in today’s world. It is estimated that approximately fifty percent or more of the planet’s plant and animal life reside inside the 7% of the earth where rainforests currently exist. For instance, the most well-known of rainforests, the Amazon, a majestic 1.4 billion acre rainforest located in South America encompassing sections of 9 separate nations, offers just 82.3% of the wet broadleaf forest cover it enjoyed in 1970. It is also estimated that between 1991 and 2000, the entire loss of Amazon rainforest increased from 415,000 square kilometers to almost 600,000. The data above is according to Wikipedia.
A different lesser known but similarly struggling rain forest, the Indonesian rainforest, has made the latest headlines following a statement from Greenpeace. Inside the report, Greenpeace accuses Asia Paper and Pulp of “relentlessly trashing rainforests, driving species extinction and, if left unchecked, will threaten Indonesia’s efforts to address climate change.” Reported by CNN.com, Indonesia is one of the planet’s biggest culprits of emitting greenhouse emissions mainly due to clear-cutting and burning of rainforests for logging and other purposes. Indonesia has long been a recipient of criticism for its environmental practices mainly due to disregard for international and even their very own laws. Asia Pulp and Paper is presently going through a public relations nightmare as a result of Greenpeace report, and naturally is claiming Greenpeace’s claims are exaggerated. Nevertheless things recently took a turn for the worse for Sinar Mas when in July, 2010, Wal-Mart, announced they have taken steps to stop purchasing their paper, on account of this and further controversies encircling APP. Seems like APP’s denial of the problem is making things worse and currently costing them major business. The loss of Wal-Mart’s business over the following year will drastically affect their revenue.
This takes us to an excellent question: In today’s difficult global economy, how can companies make certain they are instituting environmentally-friendly and energy efficient business practices and never on the wrong side of a Public relations controversy? Business.Gov, the official business link to the American Government, has a 10-step guide to help organizations ensure they are energy efficient, compliant with environmental rules, and recognized as a green business. Listed here are the steps: Follow Environmental Laws, Cultivate an Environmental Management Plan, Build Green, Acquire Green Products, Implement Energy Efficient Practices, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Wastes, Conserve Water, Prevent Pollution, Create a Green Marketing communications Strategy, and Join Industry Partnership and Stewardship Programs.
Step 4 Obtain Sustainable Products, is a superb suggestion that a great many companies fail to think about. A unique way to boost awareness about deforestation while marketing your product is through eco friendly promotional products like seed paper, that is made of actual seeds and can still develop and sprout into a flower when planted. Something as simple as seed cards such as a seed business card or a seeded thank you card can create a truly unforgettable interaction with a client or industry colleague. You could potentially also incorporate a statement concerning deforestation on the stationary, making it absolutely clear about where your business stands on ecological issues. Another one that stands out on this list is step 6, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Wastes. Remembering to cut back as well as reuse is the best way to get rid of the need to recycle in the first place. Now is the time to take action to prevent deforestation as well as ensuring your company is recognized as being a green business, as a consequence solidifying your green reputation. The 10 steps above are a terrific manual for any business owner or CEO to implement green practices in your business. Embrace the challenge of continuously improving your organization’s ecological footprint. Your company’s leadership and example can help end the devastating effects of deforestation and the investment will be well worth it.
Albert Jefferson is a highly experienced author conversing about green and sustainability dilemmas in addition to dispersing the knowledge to businesses to employ biodegradable bags to market their trademark and increase awareness for the environmental issues our world is facing.
There have been so many discussions on the effects of deforestation in our environment. These effects range from alarming to catastrophic. We have read newspaper headlines that show the wreckage that natural disasters have done. Flashfloods have not only damaged millions of properties all over the globe but it has also collected lives. Landslides have done the same. These two are the results of nature's balance that has been disturbedthey are the effects of deforestation.
Deforestation is the act of converting patches of forests to become areas of residence or industry. More and more businessmen are pushing through forests to obtain more land. Environment is sacrificed in exchange for profit. And this is a highly disturbing fact.
As an individual or as a part of the global community, you can do something to help prevent deforestation. Maybe you can't fight off illegal loggers with your bear hands but with some basic ways, you can make a differenceno matter how small. Here's a list:
1.If deforestation is a negative event, then a positive event should take place to counter its effectsreforestation. Plant trees and begin doing this in your yard. Trees give off oxygen that is essential for human existence and they, in turn, capture the carbon dioxide that humans and animals exhale. Trees also help in containing water in its roots. With this simple act, you are able to prevent soil erosion, which is the root cause of landslides!
2.Use recycled items such as books or pad paper, toilet paper, even shopping bags. If you can, do not waste any of these products so that no new raw material would be required to replace them.
3.If you are a farmer (or if you know someone who works as a farmer), try to rotate your crops. Instead of using a different portion of land each year, why not use the same portion with different crops? This practice also helps in maintaining the fertility of the soil. With the rotation of crops, not only is there a variety on the harvest each year, there is also the possibility of keeping that portion of land for as long as you can.
4.Cut down only the mature trees. Do not kill baby trees. And for every tree that is lost, plant another one as a replacement.
5.Join environmental awareness groups that would help you be an advocate of reforestation. In Washington, specifically in the Washington Middle School, there was a group of students that established a service-learning project. In their project, they asked a penny from each person. They explained that this money would help in buying acres of the rainforest in Amazon. Once this pushes through, no deforestation could take place in that purchased area.
6.There is a report that in Indonesia and Malaysia, more and more trees are cut down to produce palm oil. This massive destruction in the forests of both countries resulted into the loss of habitat for the native orangutans. With the loss of more trees, more animals become homeless. You can't help prevent this altogether but you can limit your consumption of products that contain palm oil such as breads, chocolates, and even some cosmetics such as shampoo, soap or toothpaste. As to your food consumption, you can begin a diet of roasted or boiled foods instead of frying them.
7.Instead of using firewood, use coals to heat up your fireplaces during the winter season. Remember that it takes only a few hours to consume the firewood but it would take years to grow a single tree. Think twice before purchasing firewood again.
8.Support the laws or programs that were made to protect the forests and to stop any form of deforestation. Programs such as the Tropical Forestry Action Plan have done a major difference on the way deforestation is looked at today. This program spearheaded the discussion of tropical deforestation.
It is imperative to know that there is no such thing as a small, insignificant act when it comes to defeating deforestation. No matter how small your deed maybe, the important thing there is every act can make a difference'. Deforestation can be prevented and you can be an active force in achieving that.
For more information now go to: http://www.solutionstoearthdestruction.com/How-To-Prevent-Deforestation.html http://www.solutionstoearthdestruction.com/Benefit-Of-Deforestation.html
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There are obvious consequences when you try to put up a battle with nature, but in spite all these knowledge, why does ecological disturbance still exist? Why does deforestation happen when everybody knows for a fact that it is doing more harm than good to nature? The answers are a bit tricky, and it comes in complex ways.
Perhaps man is engaging in such battle for the mere purpose of sustaining his needs. Man resorts to activities where he can still get something of benefit to him. The basic necessities of life should be met on a daily basis, and meeting these needs would mean searching for ways to acquire it. One good place for probing is nature; but the more we draw something from it, the more it gets consumed and overly exhausted.
The Global Man Made Phenomenon
Forests are being stripped at an alarming rate since the 1900′s, and both men and government made no aggressive moves to save the planet from total annihilation. Perhaps the reason why men can’t simply take their hands off of nature is because of the need to live. Likewise, the government can see no further ways to stop the issues since it has been at a steadily increasing rate.
The first good reason why our lands are being wiped off with all the naturals is because of its values. The more viable products they see in nature, the more men become eager to penetrate the wild. Wherever there is money involved, there will always be humans hovering above it. Above all, forest depletion is for men consumption. Although it’s a terrible truth, people are all aware of it; but some would only let it pass their eyes for the sole purpose of profiting.
Apart from food, other resources can also be derived from nature. Among the most popular ones are the benefits which we get from trees such as paper, napkins, wood for home use, timber for constructing buildings and crafting furniture; and lastly; for heating purposes. With the wide use of lumber, it would be sure to have an impact on economic growth but with a death in forest values. The trend has become quite surprising because of the ongoing rise of the rates that reflect man’s likelihood of parasitizing and demolishing nature.
Why Does Deforestation Result To Devastation
There are some experts who believe that deforestation is not evil in all ways. It has some good outcomes with nature too, but the matter of controlling and disciplining oneslef becomes the biggest question. Take note, we are not only talking about the depletion of ecological life, but with the extinction of human life too.
Areas which are emptied of the green life, especially in tropical rainforests, can be very receptive to deforestation. Tropical rainforests consist of only a delicate layer of topsoil that is effortlessly worn away if there is no undergrowth grasping it in place.
The wildlife that is adapted to live in the jungle typically cannot continue to exist out in the open. Forests also act as the heat absorber of the planet, and it serves as the biggest recipients of carbon dioxide in the air. The rich green lands entrap moisture and augment clamminess; thereby creating a reserve for animal use. Without the plant life protecting moisture from seeping out into thin air, the animals can become endangered as well.
So why does deforestation happen? Perhaps, the answer to that is ourselves. We can never point fingers on anyone since we all contribute to the earth’s likely demise. From the small things that we do and from the biggest threats like major corporations, everyone realistically participates in the gradual killing of the earth.
