In the end of 1997, as the first day of 2008 came nearer, the world witnessed how blazing fire consumed millions of acres of Indonesia’s tropical rain forest. The destructive fire formed a line of heavy smog along Sumatera and Kalimantan. This smog seriously endangered the health of the dwellers living near the vicinity. Moreover, the fire also inflicted disturbance in Indonesian airline traffic, which in the end cost huge economical impact.
The trend of deforestation in Asia-Pacific reveals an inconvenient truth: in every two seconds, we lose pristine forest in an area as wide as a soccer field, the fastest deforestation in the world. The most endangered forest is the so-called “forest paradise” that stretches along the Indonesian archipelago, Papua New Guinea, and continue to the Solomon Islands in the Pacific.
Greenpeace reports that Indonesia is losing her forests in the fastest rate. On the paper, from 2000 to 2005, there is 1.9 million hectares of forest being cleared up. Hard fact presents graver truth: We lose 2.8 million hectares of forest every year. This continued deforestation of global rain forest is mainly caused by excessive logging in Southeast Asia (19% contribution) and by uncontrolled land-clearing for agriculture in North America (5% contribution).
We are losing more and more rain forest because of the high demand for timber from China and India. Other possible causes are the rising price of foodstock, energy, and other vital commodities. The destruction of biodiversity also occurs because of the illegal logging and land-opening for palm trees. Ironically, palm trees are planted to extract the oil, which eventually will be promoted as ‘biofuel’. Unfortunately, palm trees are not as effective as the other vegetation in emitting oxygen. As the results, this deforestation worsens the condition of global warming, decreases our biodiversity, and adds up the number of poor people.
China and India’s demand for forest products such as furniture and paper shows a rising trend. China’s wood import, which s currently the world’s biggest furniture exporter, rises ten folds from US$ 53 billion in 1990 to US$ 561 billion in 2004. India’s import of paper also increases, from US$ 750 million in 1990 to US$ 3.1 billion in 2005, according to FAO.
If the trend continues in 2009, human being faces a serious problem of deforestation. It is possible that in the future we would lose almost all rain forest that remains in the status quo. The answer for this unwanted future is simple: The citizens of the world ought to work together in alleviating forest exploitation. Should we want to breathe clean air from Mother Earth’s forests in the future, let us work together in making the world, again, a omfortable place to live in.
Start it from yourself and your family. Stop wasting paper, tissue, and other wood products. Campaign for it in your school, house, neighbourhood, and workplace. Cooperate with your community. Arrange a program that nurture your community’s awareness towards planting trees in the neighbourhood. If you are a teacher, preach your students the importance of being ‘green’ and keeping our environment clean. The younger the kids, the better. Chidren will understand that trees do not grow in a matter of weeks, or months. They grow in years’ count. Therefore, children will be able to appreciate the idea of condemning uncontrolled, brute deforestation.
The state should act as the most prominent actor in eradicating illegal logging by issuing pro-environment legislative products and awarding appreciation for environmental leaders in the communities, Kalpataru in Indonesia is a good example of government’s awards.
When all people of the world exert their ability to promote the perpetuality of our rain forest, these small efforts can result in a surprisingly enormous achievement. As the old man says, “many a little, makes a mickle” and “a journey begins in one first step”.
ni tugas bikin essai,, gw masukin aj,, walaupun membosankan tapi tak apalah.,. hehehe
