ED 370 776

AUTHORTITLEINSTITUTION

SPONS AGENCY

PUB DATENOTEAVAILABLE FROM

PUB TYPE

JOURNAL CIT

EDRS PRICEDESCRIPTORS

DOCUMENT RESUME

SE 054 360

Gage, SusanForests & Trees.

Victoria International Development EducaLLonAssociation (British Columbia).Canadian International Development Agency, Ottawa(Ontario).89

12p.

Teachergram, VIDEA, #407-620 View Street, Victoria,British Columbia V8W 1J6, Canada ($1 Canadian).Collected Works Serials (022) Guides ClassroomUse Instructional Materials (For Learner) (051)Guides Classroom Use Teaching Guides (ForTeacher) (052)Teachergram; vi n3 p1-10 Spr 1989

MF01/PC01 Plus Postage.

*Conservation (Environment); Ecological Factors;*Ecology; Elementary Education; EnvironmentalEducation; Foreign Countries; *Forestry; *Land Use;Lumber Industry; *Sccial Studies; *Trees

IDENTIFIERS Canada; *Deforestation; Nicaragua; Solomon Islands;Tropical Rain Forests

ABSTRACT

This newsletter discusses the disappearance of theworld's forests and the resulting environmental problems of erosionand flooding; loss of genetic diversity; climatic changes such asless rainfall, and intensifying of the greenhouse effect; anddisplacement and destruction of indigenous cultures. The articles,lessons, and activities are organized in six sections that discuss:(1) the causes of deforestation and its relationship to the problemsoZ erosion, the greenhouse effect and amounts of rainfall arediscussed; (2) information about the biological and medical value ofthe tropical rain forest and why it is being destroyed; (3) two casestudies on the destruction of the tropical rain forests in Nicaraguaand the Solomon Islands; (4) the logging industry in BritishColumbia; (5) potential solutions to the problem; and (6) fiveactivities in which students graph areas of tropical rainforest,dis:1:uss the fate of the rainforest, write about the effects ofdeforestation, consider sustainable development and draw conclusionsfrom the case studir:s. Lists of audio-visual and organizationalresources are included. (MDH)

***********************************************************************Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made

from the original document.****************************************k******************************

Forests & TreeS

Teachergram Vol. 2, No. 3 Spring 1989

U.S. DEPARTMENT Cf EINICATtON()nice ol E ducat.onalResearch and Improvement

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCESINFORMATIONCENTER (ERICI

[I Th.5 document has been reproduced asreceived tram theperson Or Ofganti allot"lipnating a

CI Minor changes have been made to Improvereproductmn (Wilily

Points of view oropouons Malec) at this doCumerit do not necessarily

represent OttrClatOE RI posdwn or pOSCy

-PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THISMA RIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY

TO THE EDUCATIONALRESOURCES

INFORMATION CENTER (ERICI.-

2 RV COPY MAUI

teaching global issues

Vol. 2, No. 3 Spring 1989

Forests & TreesTo the teacherThe disappearance of theworld's forests is leading to ahost of environmental problems,of both local and global propor-tions:+ erosion and flooding;+ loss of genetic diversity;+ climatic changes less rain-

fall, an intensifying of thegreenhouse effect;

+ displacement and destructionof indigenous cultures.

Why do people and nationspersist in destroying their treesand forests? Land pressures,the activities of large multina-tional logging companies, andnational debt all contribute to asituation where people actingout of short-term necessitydestroy their future.

In this issue cf Teacher-gram, students are encouragedto understand the causes of,and examine possible solutionsto, a problem which affects bothBritish Columbians and ThirdWorld citizens.

From outer space some years ago, astronauts

could see only one sign of [human] activities on earth theGreat Wall of China.Three things are now visible: The Great Wall of China, burningforests in Brazil and clear-cut logging in B.C."(Father Charles Brandt, "Astronauts See Logging" Courtenay-Comox Valley Record, Febl/89)

Graphics Collie Neaernan/World Forest Action

BEST COPY AVAILABLE

The world's trees are disappearingand fast. The world's forests, which

cover about one-third of the world's landarea, are losing ground at the rate of 15million hectares a year. At the present rateof deforestation, about 40% of the remain-ing forest cover in the developing coun-tries will be lost by 2,000 A.D. In thetropics, 10 trees are being cut for everyone planted.

Canadians are beginning to realizethat their forests are also threatened. InMarch 1988, Canada's auditor-generalpointed out that logging in Canada is pro-ceeding at an unsustainable rate.

Well, that's progress.What's all the fuss about?

Doll McNair, Wukoart Development Group

Teachergram may be copied for classroom use.

2 Teachergram Spring 1989

Deforestation: Why the Fuss?+ Erosion: When you remove theroots, which anchor the earth, the cano-pies which protect it from wind and tor-rential rains, and leaves, which nourish it,you've set the scene for erosion. Treesalso act like a sponge, absorbing the waterwhen it rains, and releasing it slowly.When the trees are no longer there, rain-water washes down slopes, carrying withit precious soil. Not only is the soil's fer-tility lost, but the likelihood of flooding isincreased.

The Greenhouse Effect: CO2levels in the atmosphere have increasedby about 30% from 1850 to 1980and areprojected to leap a further 75% by 2060.Carbon dioxide traps heat from the sunand prevents it from radiating back intospace. This creates the "greenhouse ef-fect" a gradual rise in the temperatureof Earth's atmosphere, which could dra-matically alter global weather patterns.melt the edges of the polar ice caps andcause the flooding of coastal areas andcities. (Source: Myers, N. et. al. Gait, , AnAtlas of Planet Manageasent. NY: AnchorBooks, 1984)

Nepal:Since1953, when Nepal's most famous mountain, Everest, was first ascended, about

half of Nepal's forest has been cut down. Now that the trees which used to bind the soilto the mountainsides have gone, the rains wash almost 5 tonnes of soil a year from everyhectare of the bare slopes.

As the soil goes, crops fail. Rice yields in the Nepalese hills have dropped by one-fifth in the last five years, maize yields by a third, and 60 percent of the children sufferfrom malnutrition.

Meanwhile, the soil continues on down the Ganges river, raising the water levels by15 to 30 cm. a year. Floods are on the increase, all the way to Bangladesh. In 1978 alone,65,712 villages were flooded. (Source: Paradise Lost? Earthqe Foundation, 1986)

+ Rainfall: Scientists are still tryingto figure out the exact relationship be-tween deforestation and drought. It seemsthat when forested land is cleared, moresolar energy is reflected back from thecleared surface, and this energy interfereswith the build-up of rain clouds. Studiesin Brazil show that most of the rain thatfalls in the interior is moisture recycled,by transpiration and evaporation, fromtrees closer to the coasts. Scientists arenow hypothesizing that the destruction ofWest Africa's forests may be largely re-sponsible for the increasing pattern ofdrought in the Sahel and Ethiopia. (Source:Harrison, P., The Greening of Afrka.London:Paladin, 1987; Ecologist Vol 17, No 4/5 1987)

+Losing Genes: To all of the above, add the loss of genetic diversity resulting fromrainforest destruction (see page 3), and you have a pretty grim picture!

What can trees do about the Greenhouse Effect?.3

The Carbon TrapYou probably already know a lot about

this tree: it holds in soil, absorbs water,and provides shade, wood, fodder, fertil-izer, medicine, and food.

What you may not know is that thistree also acts as a "carbon trap". Theearth's vegetation and soils store roughlytriple the amount of carbon held in the at-mosphere. When cleared or burned, for-ests release much of their carbon, addingto the greenhouse effect. Scientists esti-mate that in 1988, deforestation accountedfor about one-fifth of the total CO2 build-up ;Source: Lester Brown et al, State of theWorld 1989, Norton: Worldwatch, 1989)

The Causes:The causes of deforestation are many.Commercial logging, coupled with theneed for agricultural land, are two majorcauses. (See The Rainforest, pages 3-4).Another major cause, which particularlyaffects open woodland and shrubland, isthe search for fuelwood.

II

The problem of deforestation existsnot only in forests, but in open woodlands,where trees are hacked down by womenseeking fuel to cook food for their fami-lies. The search for fuelwood becomesmore difficult each year, as areas sur-rounding population centres become over-cut.

Almost half of the world's wood isused as fuel, and over 80% of the fuel-wood is used by developing countries. \UN study completed in 1983 found thatmore than 100 million people in 26 coun-tries were suffering from an 'acute scar-city' of wood while nearly 1.3 billionpeople were in a 'deficit situation', forc-ing them to cut wood faster than it is beingreplaced. If present trends continues, bythe year 2000, 2.4 billion peopleoverhalf the population of the developingworldwill be short of fuelwood.

What solutions can you see to thefuelwood crisis? (think of bothsupply and demand)

Act,. Teachergram S ring 1989 3

The equivalent of morethan 20 football fieldsof tropical forest are

destroyed every minute, 620square kilometres every day.Each year, an area the size ofGreat Britain [about one-quar-ter the size of B.C.] is lost.(Source: Globe and Mail, April 23/88,"Everyone's loss")

Tropical forests cover only 7 percent ofthe earth's surface, but they house be-tween 50 and 80 percent of the planet'sspecies. When huge tracts of rainforestare felled to provide hardwood for ele so-called "developed" world, or land for thefarmers, the world loses not just trees, itloses something called genetic diversity.As in the case of that now-famous extinctspecies, the Dodo, once a species is gone,it's gone. That might not sound too seri-ous, until you realize that we all depend onthe species found in tropical rainforests.25% of the pharmaceuticals which we usetoday contain ingredients originally de-rived from tropical wild plants.

* In 1960, 4 children out of every 5 whogot leukemia died. Now 4 out of every 5survive. The miracle? A substance froma forest plant called rosy periwinkle, whichgrows in the jungles of Madagascar.Ninety-five percent of Madagascar'sjungles are now gone. (Source: Timberlake,L. Africa in Crisis. Earthscan, 1985)

* In the search for a cure for AIDS , DanielJanzen, University of Pennsylvania biolo-gist, looks to the rainforest:"I know of three plants with the potentialto treat AIDS. One grows in an Australianrainforest, one in Panama and one in CostaRica." (Linden, E. "The Death of B irth", Time,

Jan. 2189, pages 26-33)

v twoIndoneSierik resettlement scheme moves millions of landless peasants from thecrowded island of Java to the islands of Sumatra and Sulawezi. These islands, onceheavily forested, have been denuded for agriculture and fuelwood. 3.3 million hectaresof tropical forest are threatened. Most of the soil, when laid bare, becomes infertile andcan support agriculture for only a few years.

The Philippines: Since 1960, 55 percent of the rainforest of the Philippines has beendestroyed by industrial logging. Technically, the companies are required to replace thetrees cut down. In practice, a 1975 survey found that only 17 percent of loggingcompanies made any attempt to reforest. The government estimates that by the end ofthe century, all the remaining primary rainforest will be logged.

Panama: The watershed of the Panama Canal is rapidly being deforested for ranching.The result? More hamburgers for North Americans, but less water for the Panama Canal.The lakes and reservoirs which supply the Canal's lock system with water are rapidlysilting up as soil rushes down the denuded slopes. In addition, the cleared ground reflectsmore solar energy than does forested ground, and this interferes with the build-up ofrainclouds. Thus, each year, the Canal receives less rainfall. The clearance of land byranchers is partially fmanced by the World Bank, to which Canada is a contributor.

As well, the health and adaptability of our crops are sometimes dependent on the geneticmaterial contained in the rainforest.

* In the 1920s, when disease decimated the sugar-cane crop in the southern UnitedStates, genes from a wild species in Javan forests saved the industry from ruin. (Source:Paradise Lost? Earthlife Foundation, 1986))

* In Canada . . . four varieties of wheat produce 75 percent of the crop grown on thePrairies and more than half of it comes from a single variety: the Neepawa, whosebreeding was made possible through tropical forest germplasm. (Source: CIDA, Develop-ment, June 1986)

5New heterwationallst, October 1985

4 Teachergrain Spring 1989

Why Are.They Destroying Their Rainforests?If we look at the examples on page 3, we can see the reasons why people cut down rainforest:

+ Logging destroys about 5 million hectares of tropical foresteach year. For every 10 hectares of trees destroyed, one isreplanted. Logging tropical hardwood is a profitable business,netting about $8 billion a year in total trade.

Who gets the wood? Most is exported to Japan, WesternEurope and North America. Canada imported 25,000 cubicmeters of tropical wood products in 1986, most of it used forfurniture and construction. Canada's main source of tropicaltimber, Indonesia, is losing its rainforest at the rate of 200,000hectares each year. The developed world's imports of hard-wood have multiplied 16 times since 1950 whilst the amountof wood used by tropical regions has only tripled.

Logging destroys rainforests directly by felling trees, andindirectly by building roads into areas which were once inacces-sible. With roads come settlers.

( Source: Friends of the Earth)

+ Farming eats up huge quantities of rainforest. The fragilerainforest floor, once cleared, is not fertile land. After two or threeyears of cultivation it becomes eroded and exhausted. The settlerthen heads out on another logging road to begin a new cycle ofdestruction. Why do they do it? Essentially, they have no choice.The 250 million people who are busy this minute destroying therainforest have no jobs, no land, and no other way to support theirfamilies. Part of this is beLause of rapid population growth. Partof it is because of the unequal distribution of land. In LatinAmerica, 93 percent of farmland is contiolled by 7 percent of thepeople; in Java, one percent of farmers own 33 percent of the land.The others get pushed into the rainforest, to live as best they can.Countries like Brazil and Indonesi a are actively promoting schemesto send large numbers of people to farm the rainforest. From apolitical point of view, it's a safer solution than promoting landreform. From an environmental point of view, it's disastrous.

+ Development projects massive mining projects, dams which flood hundreds of hectares of forest also affect the rain-forest. Brazil's Tucurui Dam, the fourd'ilargest in the world, drowned 2072 sq. km. of rainforest an area about two-thirds the sizeof Vancouver Island.

People of the RainforestThe rainforests are inhabited by groups of indigenous people,who have learned to live in harmony with their surroundingsthrough careful farming techniques, hunting and gathering. Thereare about 1,000 different forest tribes around the world. As theforest is cleared, and loggers and settlers arrive, stories of atroci-ties are common. Forest people have been shot, bombed, poi-soned, deliberately infected with diseases and driven from theirhomes in the drive for "development". Tribal people are begin-ning to rebel. In Sarawak in East Malaysia, thousands of indige-nous people have formed human barricades across logging tracksin a bid to stop the destruction of their lands by timber companies.They claim that the timber companies have no right to buildroads, destroy their forests, and pollute their water supplies.(T. Apin, "The Sarawak Timber Blockade," The Ecologist, VoL 17 no 4/5, 1987)

"Development for Whom?""Some people say we are against "development"if we do not agree to move out of our land andforest. This completely misrepresents our posi-tion. "Development" does not mean stealing ourland and forest away from us. This is not devel-opment but theft of our land, our rights and culturalidentity."(From a Statement signed by 61 tribal leaders on behalf of 27 communi-ties of indigenous people in Sarawak, Malaysia. In April, 1987, 42 tribalpeople were arrted for their part in the blockade against logging roadsin their forest. In January 1989, 127 more were arrested. Quoted in Apin,ibid.)

The Killer Hamburger

The "Burger Bonanza" has been a major rainforest killer.One-quarter of Central America's rainforest is now planted ingrass to feed cattle. Who gets the beef? North American burgerchains. A hectare of rainforest sustains about 800,000 kilos ofplants and animals. Turned to grazing land, that same hectare willproduce 200 kilos of meat a year, or 1,600 hamburgers. The realprice of one hamburger is half a tonne of rainforest, or ninesquaremetres of irreplaceable pristine rainforest. (New Internationalist,July 1987)

Ilitastrations: Don McNair, W takoali Development Group

Case Stud 1 : Teachergram Spring 1989 5

Nicaragua's Battle for Forests:Fighting on Two FrontsJuly 19, 1979: After a massive na-tional struggle, the people of Nicaraguaoverthrow the dictator Anastasio Somoza.Three days later, Nicaraguan environmen-talists propose to the new Sandinistagovernment that a Ministry of NaturalResourcesthe first in Nicaraguan his-torybe formed. IRENA (the Nicara-guan Institute of Natural Resources andthe Environment) is begun.

What forestry problemsdid IRENA find?* Rainforests: Because land owner-ship was so unequal under Somoza's re-gime (1% of the population controlled50% of the land; Somoza himself owned20% of Nicaragua's prime farmland),landless peasants had been forced to cul-tivate land on the edge of the rainforest.When this quickly became unproductive,the families abandoned dot land to cattleranchers, and moved deeper into the rain-forest. Cattle ranching became big busi-ness. During the 1970s, Nicaragua wasthe top Latin American beef supplier tothe U.S. and 30% of Nicaragua's tropicalrainforests disappeared. As well, pineforestslogged by large, foreign-ownedtimber companieshad not been refor-ested.

Fuelwood: Like most developingcountries, Nicaragua used a lot of woodfor fuel. Over 90% of household fuel, and25% of industrial fuel was wood.

What did the new Nicara-guan government do?* Rainforest: Land reform has meantthat Nicaraguans no longer have to culti-vate rainforest land. Rainforest cultiva-tion has been limited to some subsistenceagriculture, and to environmentally sus-tainable crops such as coconut and cocoa.* Reforestation: Nurseries through-out the country grew 2 million trees annu-ally for reforestation projects until 1986,when progress was slowed down by war.

_NICARAGUA

miles 100

HONDURAS

MatapIpa.Clunandega

Managua

PJCI fic

Ocean

CaribbeanSea

.01

Bonanza

..%Lake NicaraguaGranada

COSTA RICA

13,uditIds

Parkland: In 1983, [RENA targeted18% of Nicaragua's tenitory for nationalparklands. This would give Nicaraguaone of the highest percentages of park-lands in the world. (B.C.'s parklands con-stitute 5% of our total territory.)* Fuelwood: Nicaragua's Ministry ofEnergy is developing geothermal andsmall- to medium-sized hydroelectricpower projects, as well as studying sourcessuch as wind and solar power.

WAR: The GreatestEnvironmental ThreatNicaragua, while it struggles to creategreater sustainability for the environment,is fighting a vicious war on its borders.The US-backed contras , who are fightiagto destabilize the Nicaraguan government,have made environmentalists and envi-ronmental projects prime targets. Morethan 50 employees of IRENA and theState Forestry Corporation have beenkilled, and scores more kidnapped. InApril 1987 Ben Linder, a young engineerfrom Seattle, was killed by the contras ashe worked on a small-scale hydroelectricproject, attempting to reduce Nicaragua'sdependence on fuelwood. The tree nurs-eries and reforestation projects have beentargeted by the contras. In 1983, contrasdestroyed 400 sq. km. of reforested coastalpine in the northeast. Areas designated forparkland have become war zones instead.

As well, the strain of heavy defenceexpenditures, plus repayment of the heavydebt (much of it incurred by Somoza) hasmeant that Nicaragua has had to cut backon some of its environmental programs.

7

Decision Point:The Si ii Juan Rker Rainforest

1986: The Nicaraguan government grantsto a Costa Rican logging firm the right tocut 3,200 sq. km. of virgin forest over thenext 20 years. This logging will bring$2.5 million in foreign currency, currencydesperately needed to buy spare parts,medicines and arms to fight the contras.Also, since the rainforest, located near theCosta Rican border, is filled with contras,logging will make the area much easier todefend. ABEN (the Nicaraguan Associa-tion of Biologists and Ecologists) are invigorous opposition to this decision. Theyargue that the area should be made into aninternational biosphere reserve or "PeacePark" in coordination with Costa Rica.

STEP IcSTO THE SCENE:

Enact a meeting of the people involved:representatives of the Sandinista gov-

ernmentMinister of Economic Devel-opment, Minister of Health and Welfare,Minister of Defence: You value your rain-forest, but you must have foreign exch-ange to buy basic supplies for your people,and you must get the contras cleared outof the rainforest area;

representatives of ABEN: You arecommitted to saving the genetic diversityin your rainforest;

a visiting American environmentalista representative of the Costa Rican log-

ging firm;representatives from the village of El

Castillo, on the edge on the proposed tim-ber concession area.

* What ideas are In conflict here?* Can your group come up with

any solutions? Any compro-mises?

* Are there any other ways ofachieving the desired result (for-eign exchange, defence objec-tives, etc.) without destroying therainforest?

* What Is the relationship betweenwar and the environment? be-tween foreign debt and the onvi-ronment?

* Aro there any ways In which therest of the world might be able tohelp you save your rainforest?

(To find out what the Nicaraguans decided, twig toPato 9.)

6 Teachergram Spring 1989 CASErSTUDY 2:

The Solomon Islands:Finding a Development Path

Imagine a South Pacific island, fringedwith white beaches, waving palms. Theinterior of the island is rainforest, home tomany species found nowhere else in theworld. The people of the island rely ontheir rainforest: its vines are used for trap-ping fish, its poles and leaves for buildinghomes, its trees for dugout canoes, and itsleaves and herbs for medicines. The ani-mals provide a source of protein to supple-ment the fruits gathered from forest trees.Suddenly, the stillness of this island isbroken. There is the sound of trees snap-ping, of birds crying in alarm, and behindit all, ..he sound of a bulldozer. "Develop-ment" has arrived.

Multiply this scenario several timesover, and you'll get a rough picture ofwhat is happening in the Solomon Islands.There are 922 Solomon Islands, groupedin the southwest Pacific near Australia.The Solomons muld be called the "Gala-pagos of the South Pacific", their forestsare home to so many distinct species. Ofthe 163 species of land birds that breed inthe Solomons, 72 species, or 44%, occurnowhere else in the world.

The rainforest of the Solomons, how-ever, is fast diminishing. Large, multina-tional logging companies have moved in,and the Solomon Island forests are ex-pected, at present rates of export, to lastanother 14 years. Many areas are nowafter removal of the forest coverexperi-encing soil erosion, silting of rivers andreefs, pollution of water supplies, andchanging of weather patterns towards adrier climate. Some island people haveresisted the destruction of their rainforest(see slide-tape "No Road Over Iriri Land",listed on page 10). Yet many islanderswant the foreign exchange which export-ing of their timber will bring them.

Decision Point:Rennell island

Rennell Island is a small island in theSolomon group. It has 692 square kilo-meters of land, is the world's finest up-raised coral atoll, andapart from thesmall gardens cultivated by its 2,000peopleis covered with pristine rainforest.Surrounded by a coral reef and fringedwith white beaches, it also contains thelargest lake in the Pacific, which is dottedwith tiny islands.

Because Rennell has been isolatedfor hundreds of years, it contains manyunique species. Of approximately 50species of birds to be found on the island,21 are unique species or subspecies. Theplants on Rennet are still mostly unde-scribed, but it is estimated that 15 to 20percent of them are unique to the island.

To us, life on Rennell Island, with itsabundance of fish, animal and plant life,may look idyllic, but the people of Rennet'feel they wc,ld like a little more out oflife. They need kerosene for lamps, waterstorage tanks (there are no streams onRennell), radios, fibreglass canoes andoutboard motors. In short, they needmoney.

A government minister has approachedthe Foxwood Logging Company with thesuggestion that the island be logged as away to get cash for much-needed expendi-tures. "We desperately need foreign ex-change," he explains. "Thus the selling ofour much loved land and forests which wedo with broken hearts for the future."

A timber company has offered to logthe rainforest of Rennet'. The islandersare torn. They fear the loss of their forest,but they feel that their options for cashgeneration are limited. Environmentalistspoint OA that because Rennell is a coralisland with poor soil, a logging operationwould permanently devastate the islandand lead to disasirous ecological effects:the extinction of plant and animal species,decreased rainfill, and loss of topsoil.

s'rEp rvro THIS scENE:

In a small group, enact a meeting of Ren-nell Islanders, as they decide their future.Make sure each of the following roles aretaken:+ the pro-logging faction. Your groupincludes the government minister who in-vited the logging company. You feel thatforeign exchange is more important thanrainforest preservation. This exchange,you point out, is necessary for very basicnecessities like medicines.+ the anti-logging faction. Your groupincludes "traditionalists", who set a highvalue on the traditional values and way oflife, but also includes those who feel thatother forms of cash-generationtourism,for instancewill bring more benefit inthe long term.+ the "undecideds". Some of you areunsure just how much environmentaldevastation will be caused by the logging.Is selective logging a possibility? Willthere be jobs guaranteed for the men ofyour village?+ a visiting environmentalist from theWorld Wildlife Fund .+ a representative from the FoxwoodLimited Logging Company. You want tolog this island, but you feel that the opera-tion will only make a profit if you log allthe trees; selective logging isn't an option.

* What Ideas are in conflict here?* Can your group come up with

any solutions? Any compro-mises?

* Are there any other ways of get-ting the necessary foreign cur-rency without destroying therainforest?

* Are there ways that the islandersthemselves could develop anindustry which would be sustain-ing on a long-term basis?

* Are there any ways In which therIst of the world might be able tohelp you save your rainforest?

(For more about the curreru situation on Ren-net! Island, see page 9.)

When we read in the headlines about the mass destruction of rainforest in Brazil(where in 1988 an area the size of Belgium went up in smoke) it's easy to thinkthat the problem exists only in South America. Rennell Island and Nicaraguaremind us that the struggle between rainforest exploitation and preservation isgoing on all over the tropics.

Teachergram Spring 1989 7

Meanwhile, in B.C."Hard statistics in the February editionof Forest Planning Canada reveal therate at which the busy and profitableforest companies are taking our trees,particularly the oldest and best ones,as they cater to a buoyant world mar-ket for wood, pulp and paper. The totalof wood cut throughout British Colum-bia in 1987 was about 90 million cubicmetres. The government's own For-est Service estimates "long-run sus-tained yield," the rate at which ourwood is being replaced by new growth,at 59 million cubic metres a year onlands with a currently approved allow-able annual cut.

In brief, , we are continuing to runup a wood deficit which will eventuallylead to massive layoffs. . . ."("Continued overcutting costs jobs inbunches," Times-Colonist, February 22,1989)

Shipping out the Jobs With the Logs:

British Columbialogs 50% of the timber in Canadahas 30% of the direct forest industry jobs

<- produces 25% of the total value of forestproducts in Canada

(Sierra Club Statistics, 1988)

OUR CoarlSPASTVASAIESULTOF

ME FlioM

111Eatinitll

)1V REICHERJill MEC

I

w-

P,A Ja

1st*" mg 11

;

hishiiIJOR com.TRETIoN

Off

(Printed by permission of A. Raeside)

This cartoon, by Victoria cartoonist Raeside, expresses a point of view about the abilityof large logging companies, such as the New Zealand-based multinational FletcherChallenge, to manage B.C.'s forest industry. What problems do B.C. and developingcountries face in common? (Think about job creation, reforestation, sustainability,claims of indigenous people, lack of secondary industry, conflict with other values.)What solutions can you think of for B.C.'s forest industry?

LOOKING FOR SOLUTIONS:Planting Trees:Lester Brown, of theWorldwatch Institute, urgesthe world reforestation of 170

million hectares of land-130 millionhectares (an area slightly larger than Ethio-pia) in the developing world, and 40 mil-lion hectares in the developed world. Thisreplanting would reduce worldwide car-bon emissions from all human activitiesby about one-quarter of current levels, andwould slow the pace of warming for sev-eral decades. As well, the trees would filllocal needs for fuelwood, slow erosion,and trap and recycle rainfall.

(Brown, State of the World 1989)

How to Go About It: Community ForestryAlthough governments have for decades tried to promote tree planting, they have beenunsuccessful. In the late 1970s, governments and development agencies began to realizethat forestry projects would be successful only if the local community participated in theplanning of the project, and the distribution of the benefits. Once people can see thatraising seedlings will help improve their standard of living, they will get involved. Thetree curer will also become the tree planter.

Kenya: The Green Belt MovementIn 1977, the National Council of Women ofKenya set up the Green Belt Movement, whichhelps communities to create greei, belts of atleast 1,000 trees on open spaces, in schoolgrounds, along roads. There are now morethan 1,000 green belts, and as many as 20,000"mini-green belts" on farmers' fields, alongwith 54 community tree nurseries run bywomen's groups.

(Source: Harrison, The Greening of Africa )

9

8 Teachergram Spring 1989

Agroforestry: combining farming with treesBased on traditional practices from parts of Central America andAfrica, where farmers have always planted trees amongst theircrops, agroforestry is emerging as a new hope for farmers. Treesprovide shade when needed, and at other times are pruned toprovide poles for building, fodder, and mulch for fertilizer.

And on the North American scene. . .Applied Energy Services, a Virginia-based US power company,is voluntarily helping fund a reforestation project in Guatemala inorder to offset the carbon emissions resulting from a new cogen-eration power station to be built in Connecticut.

(Source: Brown et. al., State of the World 1989)

Fuel: Cutting Down on DemandSaving TreesThe traditional African stove consists of three stones, which support a pot over a flame. In Burkina Faso, the improvedringstove, which costs little to make and saves 35 to 70 percent on fuel, has received a boost from the government. In 1984,

they trained 1,200 women to make the stoves. These women trained others, and by April 1986, 83,500 improved stoves were in use.(Source: Harrison, The Greening of Afrka)

Dollars for Rainforest:Debt-for-Development SwapsThird World Debt can sometimes be turned to advan-

tage, as in this example:In 1988, the World Wildlife Fund, a non-profit organization

based in Washington, bought $1 million worth of Ecuadoran debtheld by Bankers Trust at the discounted price of $354,500. WorldWildlifeFund transferred the loan payments to Fundaci6n Natura,an Ecuadoran conservation group, which uses the money toprotect and maintain national parks and wildlife preserves.

Everyone profited by this transaction. The bank was happyto be rid of the troublesome loan, on which it had given up muchhope of repayment. Ecuador was happy to be able to pay off itsloan in local currency, instead of using precious foreign exchange(money made on the international market, through exports).Environmentalists were happy that the rainforest would be pro-tected.

Thinking Sustainably:All of the possible solutions for deforestation can besummed up in two words: Sustainable Develop-

ment. Sustainable development, essentially, means living offthe earth's interest, without encroaching on its capital. It meansinvesting to sustain the earth's present capital scLcks of environ-mental resources, so that future dividends can be ensured.

Increasingly, environmentalists are being joined by econo-mists, governments, and a host of ordinary people who feel thatthose who exploit the earth's resources should be required tocontribute towards the environmental costs.

"There is something fundamentally wrong in treat-ing the earth as if it were a business in liquidation."(Economist Herman Daly, quoted in Greenpeace, January/Feb.1989)

Getting It Together Internationally:The world is finally realizing that rainforest destruction is a global problem. The Tropical Rainforest Action Plan,developed by high-level organizations including the World Bank, is attempting to establish sustainable patterns of forest landuse. (However, many environmental groups are wary that its approach is still not a sustainable one.) The International

Tropical Timber Organizationincluding representatives from tropical timber producing and consuming countriesare develop-ing projects in reforestation and forest management.

What Can One Person Do?If you think that's there's not much that one person can do

to change the present world trend of increasing deforestation, youshould meet Fletcher Khonje. Fletcher is originally from thesmall East African country of Malawi, but studied forestry at theUniversity of British Columbia. As a trained African forester,Fletcher feels that he's in a good position to help inspire Africansto involve themselves in community forestry projects plantingwoodlots, nurseries, applying agroforestry techniques as wellas to encourage more efficient use of fuelwood.

In March 1989, Fletcher climbed on his bicycle and begana "trek for trees" from Somalia to Senegal. For nine months,through 12 countries and over 16,000 km., Fletcher is visitingcommunities, sharing information about forestry practices, andgathering information for Canadian organizations which want tohelp. For more information about "trek for "trees", contactCFAN. (See address on page 10.)

And there's a lot thatthe rest of us can do, too:

1. Watch your consuming habits: Do you really needthat bag, that wood product? Particularly avoiditems made from tropical hardwood.2. Write letters: Lobby local, provincial and federalgovernments for policies which promote sustainabledevelopment.3. Raise funds for the reforestation programs spon-sored by many Canadian development agencies.4. Protect and plant trees in your area.5. Spread the word! Educate other people about theproblem.

reachergram Spring 1989 9

1. Graphing Destruction:The tropical rainforest is rapidly disappearing:

Total Areas of TropicalRainforest (Sq. Km.) The Americas Africa Asia

Original area 3.3 million 1.5 million 1.4 million

Current area 2.1 million 0.7 million 0.8 millionProjected area (2000 AD) 1.3 million 0.5 million 0.3 million

(Source: Multinational Monitor, June 1987)Create a bar graph to show the original, current, and projected

awas of tropical rainforest.

2. Fate of the Rainforest:Everyone seems to agree that the rainforests need to be saved bothas a genetic resource and as the "lungs of the world". But whoshould pay? Poor tropical countries like Brazil? Or the rich de-veloped countries? Simulate an emergency conference on the fateof the rainforest. Try to come up with solutions that clearlyaddress who should pay the price to save the rainforest, and howit should be paid. You will need to fill the following roles:+ Ministers of Forests from Nicaragua, Rennell Island, Panama,

and Malaysia;+ Government officials from Canada and the U.S;+ Representatives from pharmaceutical companies;+ Representatives from a North American hamburger chain;

which buys cattle from Central America;+ Representatives from the World Bank;+ Representatives from an international environment group;+ Representatives from groups of indigenous rainforest people.

3. What's 11 the hiss about?In an essay, poem, or dialogue, answer the question on page one:"What's all the fuss about?", explaining the effects of deforesta-tion. (If you submit this to your school newspaper, you may getsome other folks stirred up!)

4. Economics for Sustainability:"Y our assumption that (reforestation) is a normalpart of logging operations and should be costed tothelogging is totally unacceptable."(From a letter written to the Director of Forests in Papua NewGuinea by the Director of the Japanese New Guinea TimberCompany, part of a giant Japanese corporation)Source: Hurst, "Forest De.struction in South East Asia," The EcologistVol. 17 No. 415 1987

How can we ensure that the use of forest resources and other re-sources proceeds at a sustainable rate? Several environmentalistshave suggested different forms of taxation to promote sustainabledevelopment. Carbon-emitting activities, such as gasoline-use,for instance, might be taxed and the money used for forestryprojects to offset the effects of CO2 emissions. What othersystems can you devise to make individuals and companies paythe cost of their environmentally unsustainabie aztivities? Eitherin a small group or individually, draw up a "List of Rules andTaxes for a Sustainable Planet." (Are these rules the same fordeveloped and undeveloped countries?)

5. The Case Studies Drawing Conclusions; Making Links:After reading and discussing the two case studies, pages 5 and 6, you'll probably want to know what decisions were made in Nicaragua

and in Rennell

The San Juan River Rainforest:In 1987 Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, bowing to publicpressure, cancelled the logging contract. In February 1988,Nicaragua and Costa Rica agreed to work out plans to include thisland in a huge international "peace park", a protected rainforestarea.

In October1988, Nicaragua received still another environ-mental set-back in the form of HurricaneJoan. It is estimated that17.4 million cubic meters of wood were destroyed by thehurricane, along with countless animals. Nicaragua, a smallnation of just over 3 million people, with an average per capitaincome of $790 US, continues to struggle towards an ideal of en-vironmentally sustainable dtvelopment and preservation of itsforests.

Rennell Island:The fate of Rennell Island is still undecided. Those who are con-cerned are asked by the Rainforest Action Network to write to:

The Hon. Solomon MamaloniPrime MinisterParliament HouseP.O. Box G19Honiara, Solomon Islands

Rainforest Information Centre,P.O. Box 368,Lismore, NSW 2480Australia

MAKING LINKS: In February and March of 1989, British Columbians participated in a series of public information meetings

in eight B.C. towns and cities. The subject: B.C. forestry management. B.C. residents might have been able to get some ideas from

talking to people involved in forestry decisions in Nicaragua or Rennell Island. Both of the Case Studies had some parallels to the

situation in B.C. What similarities can you see? What differences? What questionsmight people in B.C. and abroad have to ask about:

management of forests by multinational companies, alternative industries, local control of resources, the cash/cut debate?

After discussing these questions in class or in small groups, write an essay on the topic:

"B.C. and the 1 icird World Some Shared Forestry Questions and Answers"

10 Teachergram Spring 1989 RESOURCES

Audio-Visuals:Acid Rain: Requiem or Recovery (NFB 106C0181 527, 27 min.): This award-winning filmexamines the impact of acid rain on Canadianlakes, forests and wildlife.

B.C. Ministry of Forests films and videosavailable from L.M. Media Marketing Serv-ices Ltd., 15161 Fraser Hwy, Surrey, B.C.V3R 3P2 (588-2214). Rental $15.

Carmanah Forever (VHS, 1988, 25 min.)Narrated by David Suzuki, covers informationon B.C. forestry and Carmanah past and pres-ent. For sale from Western Canada WildernessCommittee (address below) for $12.

Environment Under Fire: Ecology and Poli-tics in Central America (27 min. video)Showsthe devastating impact of militarization, landownership and multinationals on the CentralAmerican ecology. Rental $5 from Tools forPeace (address below).

The Forest In Crisis (NFB 106C 0181 910, 21min.): Documents the use and misose of forestresources in northern Ontario and the efforts ofgovernment and industry to find better ways togror a second forest.

The Fragile Mountain (NFB 106C 0182 123,55 min.): On effects of deforestation in Nepal.

No Road Over Irk Land (slide-tape show,1980, 23 min.): Highlights 2 contrasting ap-proacheslocal development and export-leddevelopmenton the Solomon Islands. Rental$15.00 plus return shipping from South Pa-cific Peoples Foundation (address below).

Roots of Famine (15 min. slide-set, MCC,1986): Land 0Ise as the reason for famine inEthiopia. Reminds North Americans not totake their environment for granted. Availablefor cost of return postage from MennoniteCentral Committee (address below).

Treesof Hope (NFB 106C 0185 093,18 min.):Problem of deforestation in Africa, and the re-lationship between trees, drought, and envi-ronmental degradation .

Trees of Plenty (NFB 106C 0186 134, 20min.): Efforts in Nepal, Costa Rica and Nigeriato combat deforestation and erosion by agro-foresuy.

Teaching*Kits:Tropical Rainforest Action KitText, teachers' guide, and 15 min. slide-showwill be available September 1989, for approxi-mately $45. Contact 7riends of the Earth,Suite 701, 251 Laurier Ave. W. Ottawa, On-tario KW 5J6 (613) 230-3352.

Brundtland KitA simplified, condensed treatment of "OurCommon Future", the Brundtland Report onEnvironment and Development. Those schoolswhich have had the LJNA's "Africa 2000"presentation in their school will already haverweived it (ask the head of your Social Studiesdepartment). United Nations, VancouverBranch (address below). Donations accepted

Organizations:The following B.C. organizations all offeradditional resources print, audio-visual,speakers on forestry and sustainable devel-opment issues. The starred organizationssupport overseas development projects relat-ing to forestry:

B.C. Environmental NetworkBox 224New Denver, B.C. VOG ISO1-800-663-7827 (toll-free)Speakers and information on B.C. environ-mental issues for communities all over B.C.

* CFAN: Community Forestryfor Africa Network#206 - 111 West Broadway (at Manitoba),Vancouver, B.C. V5Y 1P4874-CFAN

* CUSO2524 Cypress StreetVancouver, B.C. V6J 3N2732-1814

* Delta FoundationP.O. Box 1118Delta, B.C. V4M 31'2943-6337

East Timor Alert NetworkBox 354Ladysmith, B.C. VOR 2E0245-3068

Global Village (Nanalmo)101 - 259 Pine Street,Nanaimo, B.C. V9R 2B7753-3322

* Hope International Development Agency210 - 6th StreetNew Westminster, B.C. V3L 3A2525-5481

IDERA2524 Cypress StreetVancouver, B.C. V 63 3N2738-8815 (AV rental)732-1496 (other)Excellent films and videos on sustainable de-velopment

Kootenay Centre For a Sustainable FutureBox 727Nelson, B.C. V IL 5R4354-4035

* Mennonite Central CommitteeP.C. 3ox 2038Clearbrook, B.C. V2T 3T8850-6639 / 533-0035

Northwest Development EducationBox 207Terrace, B.C. V8G 4A6635-2436

* OXFAM Canada2524 Cypress StreetVancouver, B.C. V6J 3N2736-7678

* OXFAM Canada - Vancouver IslandOutreach Project205 - 620 View StreetVictoria, B.C. V8W 136381-5226

Sierra Club of Western Canada314 - 620 View Street,Victoria, B.C. V8W 1J6386-5255

South Pacific Peoples Foundation409-620 View StreetVictoria, B.C. V8W 1J6381-4131

Tools for Peace1672 East 10th AvenueVancouver, B.C. V5N 1X5879-7216

United Nations Association (Vancouver)Suite #210 - 1956 W. BroadwayVancouver, B.C. V6J 1Z2733-3912

United Nations Association (Victoria)218 - 835 Humboldt StreetVictoria, B.C. V8V 4W8383-4635

VIDEA407 - 620 View StreetWctoria, B.C. V8W 1J6385-2333

Western Canada Wilderness Committee20 Water StreetVancouver, B.C. V6B 1A4731-6716In Victoria: 370-5144

TeachergramTeachergram is a twice-yearly publication oithe BC Regional Schools Committee of theCanadian Council for International Coopera-tion (CCIC)a coordinating body for non-governmental organizations working topromote international development andawareness in Canada of world developmentissues. For additional copies, or for thoughtsand suggestions for future Teachergrams,contact:

12

Teachergram,c/o VIDEA407 - 620 View Street,Victoria, B.C. V8W 1J6(604) 385-2333

Produced by VIDEA for CCIC.Funding for Teachergram is from CCIC andVIDEA. (VIDEA is partly funded by CIPthe Canadian International DevelopmmtAgency, Public Participation Program.)

Text and layout by Susan Gage.

Teachergram may be copied for classroom use.