2A-Colonization

COLONIZATION ﻿AND INFRASTRUCTURE THE CONSEQUENCES WE BRING TO THE RAINFOREST  



A big part in deforestation is the colonization of the rainforest; many other involvements such as logging, dam construction, mining, ranching, etc. root from the impacts made by colonization and infrastructure. Companies come in and tear down trees, steamroll in the land, create cement roads for transportation and build houses and the like for native people. Besides destroying the natural flora, the machines used to tear everything down bring in toxic air waste that can affect the growth and prosperity of other trees and plants that are growing nearby. The colonization of the rainforest chases animals from their homes; if the construction does not do that job, then people moving into the new developments do. Native groups use the rainforest's resources, taking away plants that are a key role in the food chain within the rainforest as well as killing animals for bushmeat, again ruining steps within the food chain. Colonization is a huge part of deforestation and needs to be put to an end if the rainforest is to ever survive for future generations to enjoy and preserve.







A majority of the time, deforestion due to colonization is because of poor farmers living in or next to the rainforest. They use fire to clear areas to provide them more land and soil to plant on and use. The forest floor is completely destroyed and trees that are in the way are generally cut down. Because the land is so dry, it'll be used for a few months of harvesting then completely burnt when it is of no more use to the farmers. A major contributor to the destruction of rainforests are big companies that see the resources of the rainforest as theirs for the taking. Between paper and lumber companies, the dwindling resources are beginning to become extinct at the expense of the rainforest. A big controversy going on presently is the fight against Disney, who goes into the Indonesian rainforests and cuts down trees to supply paper for children's books. Research has shown that due to the abundance of trees that Disney is cutting down per month, it is destroying the forest as well as becoming a main threat to the orangutans and the Sumatran tigers.



Disney is coming in with machines, polluting the air and cutting down trees. They have created roads to get to prosperous parts of the rainforest, cutting down more trees in the process. Disney, a walking advertisement for the treasure of small animals and setting a role model for children, is going against those morals and destroying a very precious part of the world that is getting smaller with each tree that they cut.

Any animal that lives within the rainforest is seriously harmed by the colonization of these areas of the world. Between tree-dwelling animals to forest floor hunters, all animals of the food chain have their environments damaged by human interference. Not only are their homes destroyed but their food supplies are being obliterated. Pollution also fills the air, making their air toxic to inhale.

 To the left: Tiger along the side of a road in India's Sahyadri range of forested mountains To the right: Spider monkey sitting in a tree in Tikal, Guatemala

But what can WE do...? There are many things that WE can do, but a lot of people don't realize that the things that can be done are simple. One way to help prevent deforestation and infrastructure from tearing down the rainforest is to donate to a special cause whose mission is to help preserve and restore the rainforest and its inhabitants. Another way would be to start a club or organization in your school, just to get the information out so people know that someone is trying to help out. A big part in preventing cynical industries from destroying the fragile ecosystem such as the rainforest is to get the word out so people know that while there is an issue in the world, WE can be the change and help out in little ways.





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For more than 45 years, WWF has been dedicated to preserving the planet's natural environment, helping both the animals and the ecosystem from human influences. Their mission is to use the most scientific knowledge and tools to help preserve the diversity in the world, conserving the beauty for future generations. WWF uses commercials and advertisements to get the word out about how the public can help this organization in protecting animals nearing extinction as well as their environments. Donations are a big part of their fund to get the right equipment and materials to go out and research various habitats. Be a part and donate!: __[]__

<span style="color: #2d701f; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Dear Robert Iger, President and CEO of The Walt Disney Company,

<span style="color: #2d701f; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">"Disney" is a household name; for a majority of us Disney provided the stories that we grew up with. It embedded hidden lessons within the classical scenarios and taught us good morals while thoroughly entertaining us. Recently, activists protested outside of the Walt Disney headquarters. It came as a shock because Disney is a role model for a lot of children yet now we realize that every role model must have its flaw. Your company is cutting down trees in Indonesia to supply paper for children's storybooks. Have you always been pulling these resources out of the Indonesian rainforests? How long have you been stationed there? The fact of the matter is that with every tree that you cut down and every day that you spend driving back and forth through the rainforest, you kill one more animal or one more plant. Your needs are killing animal and plant's homes and you just sit back and take advantage of the "surplus" of trees. One day, Mr. Iger, those resources are going to be completely gone, all because companies like yours have gone in and stripped everything away. Rainforests are a key contributor to not only the diversity of animal and plant life in the world, but they also prevent climate change and provide an abundance of oxygen for the atmosphere. Maybe your own machines have not been placed in the rainforest, but you are paying companies within Indonesia to go in and tear down the rainforest. These rainforests now have an unpredictable future because companies such as Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) and Asia Pacific Resources International (APRIL) destroy habitats just to make low-cost paper to sell to //you//. It doesn't have to be this way though! By not sponsoring and supplying these companies with money they cannot support themselves and will crash. Cut off the ties with these monstrous companies and use alternative sources such as recyclable material. This is the story that Disney did not want the public to know, but it has gone viral and the only way to fix it is by attacking the situation head-on. Rainforests are the most diverse ecosystems in the world and by buying paper from APP and APRIL, you're helping the deforestation of these magical places. <span style="color: #2d701f; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Please consider all that I have said. With this one little change, so many can be saved.

<span style="color: #2d701f; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;"> "Disneyland is a work of love. We didn't go into Disneyland just with the idea of making money." — **Walt Disney**

<span style="color: #2d701f; display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: right;">Marissa Nadeau

**<span style="background-color: #ccefc8; color: #2d701f; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 140%;">Works Cited ** <span style="background-color: #fafafa; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: 200%; margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.5in; vertical-align: auto;">Butler, Rhett A. “Amazon Destruction.” //<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">MONGAYBAY.COM //. N.p., 2010. Web. 25 May 2011. <http://rainforests.mongabay.com/>. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: 200%; margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.5in; vertical-align: auto;">Greenberg, Nell, dir. “Rainforest Action Network Finds Disney Tied to Forest Destruction and Endangered Tiger Loss.” //<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Rainforest Action Network //. N.p., 18 May 2011. Web. 25 May 2011. []. <span style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Rainforest Destruction." //<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Issues & Controversies On File: // n. pag. //<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Issues & Controversies //. Facts On File News Services, 15 Jan. 2009. Web. 25 May 2011. <[]>.