The Rainforests - Part Four

This is part four, and the final article, of our rainforest discussion. You can read earlier discussions here: Part One, Part Two and Part Three. Today we'll continue talking about products that hurt the rainforest and how we can help.

Bananas

One of the biggest causes of deforestation of rainforests is clearing for export agriculture. Bananas are the world’s most popular fruit -- and with a market of nearly $5 billion a year, the most important food crop after rice, wheat and maize. They are an economic pillar in many tropical countries, providing millions of jobs for rural residents. But for much of its history, the banana business was known for widespread deforestation, poor waste disposal, the pollution of coral reefs and nearby watersheds and the excessive use of toxic agrochemicals. To read an earlier article on Bananas, please click HERE).

When buying bananas, opt for organic and fair trade varieties. Since finding them in most grocery stores is difficult, I suggest writing letters to grocery chains, asking them for organic, fair trade bananas. If you do this, be prepared to hear back from both grocery stores and companies such as Del Monte, who recently wrote to me, saying that their policies ensure sustainable practices and fair treatment of farmers and workers. I would like to give them the benefit of the doubt, however ... I have yet to see the fair trade label on bananas in my local market. Consequently, I have stopped buying bananas and instead opt for fruits that are sustainably grown and produced with fair labor practices.

Aluminum

Aluminum products start out as mined ore, mainly bauxite, which is mined, mostly in tropical and sub-tropical areas – Africa, West Indies, South America and Australia. As we've already learned, roads constructed for mining purposes contribute heavily to deforestation. Once the Bauxite is extracted, it is refined into aluminum oxide trihydrate (alumina) and then electrolytically reduced into metallic aluminum. This process uses primary aluminum production facilities located all over the world, often in areas where there are abundant supplies of inexpensive energy, such as hydro-electric power. In the Amazon, massive hydroelectric plants (dams) have been built on the rivers. These dams are responsible for the flooding of vast areas of pristine rainforests.

How can we make a difference? Avoid disposable containers whenever possible. Recycle all aluminum. If you have the choice between glass and aluminum ... choose glass ... it takes less energy to create.

Gold

Gold is found in the rainforests of Brazil, Ghana, Columbia and Peru (among others). Extracting it is frequently a destructive activity that damages the ecosystem and causes problems for people living nearby and downstream from mining operations. In the Amazon rainforest most mining today revolves around alluvial gold deposits. Due to the meandering nature of Amazon rivers, gold is found both in river channels and on the floodplains where rivers once ran. These deposits are actively mined by large-scale operators and informal, small-scale miners. Both operators rely heavily on hydraulic mining techniques, blasting away at river banks, clearing floodplain forests, and using heavy machinery to expose potential gold-yielding gravel deposits. Unfortunately, rainforests that can, provide either gold or forest benefits, but not both ... and gold is big business.

Here are a few things that we can do ... instead of buying gold jewelry, look for platinum or titanium ... both make lovely pieces. If you have broken or unused items of gold, recycle them (most jewelers will buy them for reuse in new pieces).


Coffee and Chocolate

Who doesn't enjoy a wonderful cup of coffee ... or a decadent piece of chocolate. Both coffee and cocoa beans grow on tropical trees. The problem is that large commercial growers cut down sections of the rainforest to grow coffee and cocoa ... in the sun. Ironically, these trees actually prefer the shade offered by the canopy of the forest. When industrial methods are used, not only does deforestation happen, but a great deal of pollution happens ... sun grown cocoa and coffee need a lot of fertilizer and pesticides to grow.

When buying coffee and chocolate, choose shade grown or fair trade varieties. Again ... fair trade varieties will be labeled as such.

We've talked a great deal about various products which affect the rainforests of the world. These are not the only ones. Still others include rayon, flowers, palm oil and soy. Some of these items destroy forest trees for their hidden treasures ... others precipitate deforestation for farms.

It is clear that our purchases have power and along with that power comes a responsibility to know where products come from and avoid those that hurt any environment, especially the rainforest.

For additional reading on rainforests, I suggest the following two sites:

Rainforest Relief
Mongabay - Tropical Rainforest Conservation

That wraps up our series on Rainforests. As I said in the beginning, it's an expansive subject and these four posts, by no means, cover the topic completely. But they do give us a few things to think about. I learned a lot this week ... I hope you did, as well!

As always ... I would love to hear from you!

The Rainforests - Part Three

This is the third article in our Rainforest discussion (you can read earlier discussions here: Part One and Part Two). Today we'll talk about a few more products from these precious forests and how our actions can help.

Petroleum

In 1960, oil was discovered in the Ecuadorean Amazon (called the Oriente). During the 1970s, drilling began and over the next 28 years, over 17 million gallons of crude oil were spilled from the main pipeline ... toxic spills killing plant and animal life. Drilling has, and is, occurring in the rainforests of Columbia, Thailand and Nigeria, as well. It generates toxic pollutants, hurting the land and indigenous people ... and it creates new roads. We learned in our last post that new roads enable farmers and illegal logging operations to venture deeper into the forest resulting in deforestation. In addition, oil drilling operations create airstrips and developments ... both of which pose a threat.

All petroleum products are bad for the earth ... and they are everywhere. There are the obvious products ... gasoline and home heating oil. And there are the not so obvious ... cosmetics, candles, plastic bags, paint and even some foods. There are alternatives ... paraffin free candles, natural cosmetics and reusable shopping bags, to name a few. The list of petroleum based products is huge ... therefore, read labels and know what's in your products. If a petroleum derived ingredient is included, look for something else.

Paper

Simply put, paper comes from trees ... and as previously discussed, deforestation due to logging is a real problem. The US is the largest per-capita consumer of pulp and paper products in the world. While the US is also a major producer, more and more of the pulp and paper products used in the US are imported.

We can make a difference by reducing our use of paper. Whenever possible, choose electronic versions of receipts, documents, bills, etc. rather than paper versions. When paper is necessary, use both the front and back of each sheet. Remove your name from junk mail lists. Ask companies not to send catalogs your way. Share books and magazines ... or opt for digital versions. For more ways to reduce paper, just type in the word "paper" in our search bar (upper left part of the side bar) for earlier articles on the subject.

Steel

The largest iron mine in the world, the Las Carajas mine in Brazil, is using up nearby forests to process iron into steel. It's estimated that the mine will be active for 50 years and in that time will consume 16% of the Amazon for charcoal to fuel the processing of iron.

Whenever possible, avoid steel. If you can't avoid it, be sure to recycle it.

Beef

Nearly 80 percent of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon results from cattle ranching. Consider this ... more than 38,600 square miles has been cleared for pasture since 1996, bringing the total area occupied by cattle ranches in the Brazilian Amazon to 214,000 square miles, an area larger than France. Brazilian beef is mostly exported to Europe ... however, it has characteristics that some U.S. markets see as favorable. Amazon cattle are effectively "free-range", "grass-fed", and possibly "organic", depending on the definition.

What can we do? Eat less meat. Regardless of where one lives, eating less meat is good for the planet. And, since Brazilian Beef has attractive characteristics ... it's possible that eating less meat will also be good for the rainforest.

We continue to see how our purchases matter ... and how vitally important it is to be informed consumers. In our fourth and final article, we'll talk about bananas, aluminum, gold, coffee and chocolate.

As always, I would love to hear from you!

Rainforests - Part Two

In our last post (which you can read HERE), we talked about why the rainforest is so important to our lives and how it's survival is in jeopardy. Today we're going to talk about how we can help.

If you've watched the news lately, you've probably seen reports on the drug wars in Mexico. Authorities say that as long as there is a market for drugs, the situation will continue to escalate. Not long ago I watched a program about car manufacturers and how, typically, they haven't been too concerned about environmentally efficient cars. The message was the same ... as long as there is a market for large, gas guzzling cars ... they will produce them. The point, here, is not to blame the consumer, but rather to show that we have a powerful voice ... one that, through our purchases, is loud and clear.

Here is an alarming fact: The greatest factor in the loss of tropical forests is logging for timber. 70-90% of that timber is logged for export with the U.S. being the number one destination.

Here's another alarming fact: 70% of tropical deforestation due to agricultural clearing is precipitated by logging and mining roads. This is how it works ... roads are bulldozed by loggers (mostly illegal), who intend to sell the highly valued rainforest wood. This begins the chain of destruction. Next, people who otherwise wouldn't have access to the interior portions of the forest, can now move in to clear land ... usually for farming activities. Thus, the deforestation process is completed.

If there were no market for tropical hardwoods, then logging wouldn't be profitable ... which means there wouldn't be logging roads ... which means that farmers wouldn't be able to clear as much land ... which means less deforestation. So, if you are like me ... you're probably thinking ... no problem ... I won't buy Mahogany. And, like me, you might be surprised to find out that we're talking about many varieties of wood which are used for many, surprising things.

From the Rainforest Relief site, here are just a few woods which should be avoided:

• Mahogany (South American and Africa), used for furniture and decorative pieces.

• Ipê ("Brazilian walnut"), used for boardwalks (NY is one of the largest importers), truck flooring, decking and benches.

• Jatoba ("Brazilian cherry"), used for furniture and cabinets.
  

• Ramin and Nyatoh, used for furniture, doors, coffins, boardwalks, decking, plywood, and flooring.
  

• Lauan, an inexpensive plywood, imported in volume from southeast Asia and used for paneling, cabinets, and furniture.

• Okoumé and African Mahogany, used in a marine grade plywood for use in boat building and for the flooring of trucks and shipping containers.

• Spanish Cedar (Cedro) used for outdoor furniture, musical instruments and cigar boxes.

• African Teak (Iroko) used for veneer and furniture.

• Jelutong, from Indonesia and Malaysia, used for pencils and picture frames.

The above list shows just a few types of wood ... tropical wood. There are other types which come from the Temperate and Boreal rainforests located in Canada, Russia, the Northwestern part of the U.S, etc. While most people focus on the tropical forests, both the temperate and boreal rainforests are in trouble, as well. For a more complete list of all rainforest wood to avoid, including the name of the wood, it's origin, it's appearance and common use, click HERE.

When I started this article, I was first shocked to find out how many types of trees are in danger. Then, I was shocked to find out how many products we use, every day, which are made with these woods. So, with firm resolve, I marched off to the local hardware store to see where wood products come from. And guess what ... finding out where wood comes from is not easy. There isn't a label that says "Imported from Brazil" or "Made in the Amazon". So, what can we do? Read on:

• Whenever possible, buy reclaimed or salvaged wood for building. This is wood that has been salvaged from existing structures, submerged logs or mill scraps.

• Shopping for furniture? Consider used pieces or antiques instead of new. If you decide to buy new, consider pieces made out of second growth woods such as walnut, maple or Douglas Fir ... or consider furniture made out of metal.

• Looking for patio furniture? Consider recycled plastic lumber or metal. For wood furniture, look for second growth varieties such as northern cedar, second growth redwood or juniper.

• For that special artwork, use frames made of metal or second growth wood such as birch or maple.

• Instead of teak wooden spoons and salad bowls, choose varieties made out of these beautiful woods: olive, almond or beech.

• For new building materials, look for woods carrying independent certification by an organization accredited by the Forest Stewardship Council. They'll be tagged like this:

I've read that, according to some scientists and experts, the rainforest is beyond saving ... that it's destruction is now on an unalterable course. This may be true. But I would hate to think that we lost these precious forests because we didn't try or because we simply didn't know what to do. Admittedly, choosing wood products that don't contribute to the destruction of the rainforest isn't easy ... but we have to try.

Next up ... we'll continue the discussion of products to avoid and some alternative choices.

As always ... I would love to hear from you!

Rainforests - Part One

This is the first in a series of posts on the Rainforest, an expansive subject. Most of us know that rainforests are important and they are in serious trouble. But perhaps we don't know exactly why they are important or how we, especially those of us who live no where near them, can help. Let's start with why they are important ... here are a few facts:

• Tropical rainforests are the single greatest terrestrial source of air that we breathe (they generate over 20% of the world's oxygen). They take in vast quantities of carbon dioxide and, through the process of photosynthesis, convert it into clean, breathable air. This also helps prevent global warming.
  

• They are home to between 50 and 70 million different life forms ... two-thirds of all the living species on the planet.

• Nearly half the medicinal compounds we use every day come from plants endemic to the tropical rainforest. That means that if we are to find a cure for such diseases as AIDS or cancer, it'll probably come from the tropical rainforests.
  

• Almost half of all the world's rain falls on these forests. Vegetation traps the water in the soil and slowly releases it back into the air where it evaporates. This causes clouds to form and rain to fall ... filling rivers and streams ... and supporting life. One-fifth of the world's fresh water is in the Amazon Basin.

• Rainforests regulate world temperatures and weather patterns. Trees are like big air conditioners. They lower the temperature, filter air, remove carbon dioxide, and absorb storm water. Fewer trees equate to higher temperatures everywhere.
  

• Indigenous people live in the rainforest. From a moral standpoint, it is wrong to destroy their home ... and in the process their lives. With the loss of indigenous people, we lose valuable information on sustainable practices ... practices that, we are now realizing, will ultimately save our lives and the earth.
  

OK ... so the air we breathe, the food we eat, the clean water we enjoy, the medicine we need, the knowledge on sustainable practices that we require and our weather all have origins and/or links to the rainforest. They are important and their survival affects every single one of us. Their survival, however, is in serious jeopardy. Read on:

• Worldwide, rainforests are being lost at the rate of an acre-and-a-half every second.

• It is estimated that accessible rainforests will be completely wiped out in 45 years.
  

• The earth is losing more than 400 species to extinction each day. This is a greater rate of species extinction than occurred 65 million years ago when an asteroid hit earth. When the rainforests are gone, 90% of earth's unique life forms (the majority of which have not yet been identified) will be lost forever.

What will happen to humans if the rainforests are lost? Some say that it is unlikely that we will survive because life is entirely dependent upon the integrity of the world’s biological fabric. Not everyone agrees with this analysis ... but all agree that life, as we know it, will drastically change for the worse.

There are many reasons why rainforests are disappearing ... agriculture, logging, mining ... to name just a few. Solutions are hard to find and, quite frankly, need to come from government leaders and policy makers to have the kind of impact required to save these precious resources. But we can help. Once again, there is power in our choices and our purchases. As long as we, the consumer, continue to buy and use products which negatively affect the rainforest ... and as long as those products continue to be big business ... we will continue to see the current rate of demise. Here is a list of products that, in coming posts, we'll take a look at:

• Rainforest wood
• Petroleum
• Bananas
• Aluminum
• Paper
• Gold
• Steel
• Beef
• Coffee
• Chocolate
• Rayon
• Flowers
• Palm Oil
• Soy

Saving rainforests, throughout the world, is crucial to our lives. We can help by knowing where products come from and refusing to purchase products that contribute to deforestation and destruction of, possibly, our most valuable resource.

Stay tuned for our next post ... Rainforest Wood.

As always ... I would love to hear from you!