Group+5+Deforrestation

the history of deforestation. IN OUR DAY, there is a growing awareness that world peace is threatened not only by the arms race, regional conflicts and continued injustices among peoples and nations, but also by a lack of DUE RESPECT FOR NATURE, by the plundering of natural resources and by a progressive decline in the quality of life. The sense of precariousness and insecurity that such a situation engenders is a seedbed for collective selfishness, disregard for others and dishonesty. Faced with the widespread destruction of the environment, people everywhere are coming to understand that we cannot continue to use the goods of the earth as we have in the past. The public in general as well as political leaders are concerned abut this problem, and experts from a wide range of disciplines are studying its causes. Moreover, a new ECOLOGICAL AWARENESS is beginning to emerge which, rather than being downplayed, ought to be encouraged to develop into concrete programs and initiatives. 2. Many ethical values, fundamental to the development of a PEACEFUL SOCIETY, are particularly relevant to the ecological question. The fact that many challenges facing the world today are interdependent confirms the need for carefully coordinated solutions based on a morally coherent world view. For Christians, such a world view is grounded in religious convictions drawn from Revelation. That is why I should like to begin this Message with a reflection on the biblical account of creation. I would hope that even those who do not share these same beliefs will find in these pages a common ground for reflection and action. The postive and negtives of deforestation
 * **For thousands of years, humans have played an ever increasing role in global deforestation. Throughout history, one empire after another stripped forests to build their ships and dwellings, and for fuel. Once devastated, those forests didn't recover for a thousand years or more, and some never did--like parts of the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and Great Britain.** || **Global deforestation has accelerated dramatically in recent decades. The tropical forests of South America and Southeast Asia are being cut and burned at an alarming rate for large and small agricultural uses, from huge palm oil plantations to slash and burn subsistence farming. Fires set for these purposes often rage out of control. The so-called "Haze" in Southeast Asia during 1997 was the result of extensive fires burning unchecked through drought-stricken forests. In Indonesia alone, an area at least the size of New Jersey was burned.** ||
 * **Deforestation leads to the increase of carbon dioxide in the air because living trees store CO2 in their fibers, but when they are cut down, the carbon is released back into the atmosphere. CO2 is a major greenhouse gas, so cutting down trees contributes to the danger of climate change.** ||
 * [[image:http://library.thinkquest.org/17456/media/cityriver.jpg width="300" height="200"]] || **Riparian zones are especially sensitive to the effects of deforestation. Roads and cut areas intercept or divert the natural flow of water, and can cause flooding, mudslides and siltation. This can lead to a loss of water quality and a loss of fish habitat and spawning areas.** ||