Deforestation: Savoir or Sin?

(Photo Credited to the AFP)

Flying over the dense, unpopulated jungle of southern Mexico on my way home from vacation, I looked out of the airplane window only to be disgusted by the sight. Amongst the beautiful landscape of the Mexican jungle lay an empty space just to the left of it that had been cleared for the use of agriculture. The Mexican government had sacrificed the beauty and nostalgia of their land for economic reasons, a perfect example of deforestation. Deforestation is a worldwide epidemic that is causing the natural resources and land of the world to decrease at an alarming rate. There are many reasons why a nation would use deforestation. It is economically productive giving new sources of energy, room for agriculture, and a boost of food production, but an increase in deforestation can lead to a harmful effect on the atmosphere, the water cycle, and the ecosystem.

In most cases, the main reason for deforestation is that the forest is not a good economic resource. With the growing population of the world and the blatant need for energy, forested areas are being sacrificed for the "betterment" of society. When trees are cut down on a large scale, it makes way for an increase in farmland, which can help bolster a new country economically. In many third world countries, agriculture is important in their economic infrastructure so the maximum amount of space for farmland would correlate to the maximum amount of money that would be available in that area of the economy. An increase in wood extraction for the use of energy is also a main factor contributing to deforestation. Since wood is cut down and moved for the use of fuel and energy it is easy to see why cutting down more trees would be useful for humanity. But probably the largest reason for deforestation is the need for increased food production. Easily put, forested lands cannot produce food at a higher rate than cleared land. The cleared land leads to the afore mentioned increase in farmland and cropping leading to an increase in food production. The food production also plays an integral role in the economical value of cleared land, since the sale of food can help buttress a growing economy. As the world grows over time, the need for a strong economy in the world picture becomes increasingly important, and since the forested lands are not economically productive, countries are more apt to turn the cold shoulder to their forests and let them be cleared.

Although the cutting down of trees may help an ailing country in an economic sense, the ecological consequences that accompany it are too many to discount. Deforestation negatively impacts the atmosphere, the water cycle, and the ecosystem. Since trees take carbon out of the air during photosynthesis when they are incinerated during clearing the extra release of carbon into the atmosphere can causes a fluctuation in amount of greenhouses gases, leading to the greenhouse effect on the atmosphere. Without trees in the area the carbon will find its way into the atmosphere without anything to take it back in and turn it into oxygen. Trees are also influential in the water cycle, taking the groundwater and releasing it into the air. Without this step in the cycle, there would not be a sufficient amount of water in the air leading to a drier climate. Also, with the absence of trees, there would be no way for the area to trap rain and other types of precipitation leading to flooding. The last and most important negative effect on the environment caused by deforestation is the interruption of ecosystems. When trees are removed it is not just the tree that is being taken, but also a habitat is being destroyed. The destruction of ecosystems leads to a degraded environment and smaller biodiversity in certain habitats. In general, as trees all over the world are being cutting down, the face value of these effects may seem minimal, but the underlying impact on the ecosystem, the water cycle and the atmosphere can play a huge role in a diminished standard of living for all.

The biggest question involved in the ethics of deforestation is whether the economic advantages outweigh the environmental consequences of clearing lands. Although deforestation can lead to an increase in farmland and help with the growing need for energy, its environmental drawbacks have a far greater impact on the world. Deforestation may seem like a quick fix for the needs of many around the world, but its negative effects may be felt for generations to come. If we proceed to allow deforestation to continue at the rate it is, the environment will never recover. Habitats will be destroyed causing the world to lose unique animals and the atmosphere will suffer leading to a less healthy world to live in. The best thing for everyone in the world, both man and animal, is to discontinue this act of butchery towards the environment because it causes more harm to the environment than it does good to a failing economy.