By Shoryu Zaman-Das
Question
What is the economic impact of
deforestation?
Answer:
Deforestation seems like a good idea,
aside from the fact that it causes environmental damage and massive habitat
loss. Cutting down trees gives us wood to sell to the world, where we can use
in paper and furniture. It all seems so economically positive. Too good to
believe… Recent research published by the World Bank has gave a grim warning to deforestation and economic gain. If deforestation keeps on going at the current rate, world GDP (Gross Domestic Product – The sum of all the money earned in a year) will decrease by a massive 7%! That’s 7% of all global profits wiped away from the palm of our hands just due to deforestation.
Question
What are the indirect effects of
deforestation?
Answer:
In early November 2013, a group of researchers
at Princeton ran a climactic survey, based on what would happen if the amazon
disappeared overnight. The result was shocking. The dry air over the amazon
would be pushed northward, towards the USA, by northerly air currents. This would
rapidly reduce snow and rainfall near the west coast of the country, extending
through America’s food bowl. If there would be a rain decrease over America’s
food bowl, the amount of food produced would be much less, resulting in a
possible food shortage. This example shows that deforestation can affect
everyone, anywhere in the world.
Question
What percentage of deforested land is
used to grow illegal crops?
Answer:
There isn’t a clear answer, but an
article in the journal “Environmental Science and Technology” published in 2011
talks about Illegal Drugs and their growth in Columbia. The researchers found that between 2002 and
2007, a staggering 890 square kilometres of land were cut down for the growth
of coca, the main ingredient of cocaine, which equals to 6 percent of all the
forest in Columbia. The amount of deforestation is largely unknown in Columbia,
which is the reason why no-one can make an accurate estimate as to what the “amount
of deforestation for the growth of coca” actually is.
Sources:
1.
http://rainforests.mongabay.com/0905.htm
4.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/illegal-drug-drives-deforestation-columbia
5. http://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/4816/20131107/climate-simulation-shows-amazon-deforestation-leads-water-food-shortages.htm
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