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Rainforest web enquiry

Think about this cartoon.

rainwebcartoon.gif (13529 bytes)

What is it saying?

Who might have published it?

Is there an alternative view?

What might be the sources you would look for on the web to find out more?

 

The Big Enquiry Question!
Should the Brazilian government and people have the right to exploit the Rainforest as a resource?

Purpose of the enquiry
  The purpose of the enquiry is to develop a more complex understanding of the:

  • scale of the rainforest,
  • nature of the ecosystem
  • uncertainty about the rates of destruction
  • various opinions about rainforest exploitation

 

Your Task:  You are working as a civil servant in the Department for International Development.  You have to prepare a briefing presentation (using PowerPoint if possible) to Clare Short, the Secretary of State for International Development on the current state of rainforest destruction and the opinions of various interest groups in Brazil and abroad. You need to prepare a list of questions for Clare to ask the Brazilian Government.   Clare has decided to stop off in Manaus, Brazil on her way back from Argentina. You have only time to use the Internet to develop your presentation.

The enquiry questions with weblinks

What is the rainforest like?
What are the ecological processes? http://www.panda.org/kids/wildlife/idxtrpmn.htm for a simple visual view. 

How big is the Amazon Rainforest?
This map is startling isn't it! the Amazon not Brazil is underneath Europe!

Scalemap.jpg (15420 bytes)

Some general facts are available at: http://www.dpi.inpe.br/Amazonia/home
http://forests.org/forests/maps/samerlg.gif - gives a more detailed map of the different forest ecosystems.

What is the nature and scale of Rainforest destruction?  Look at this album of pictures from the Brazilian space agency to get a flavour: http://www.dpi.inpe.br/dalves/album.html

Here is some from the Brazilian Space Agency INPE- based on satellite imagery.

Data is available at theses sources but look closely at the maps which illustrate the different ways the forest is destroyed. Some of this is in Portuguese but don't worry you will make sense of it.
http://www.dpi.inpe.br/prodes/home

To look at all the satellite images- INPE has provided 1995 imagery.
http://www.grid.inpe.br/ 

You might like to check it with NASA data. They have incredible range of Landsat Images. http://www.bsrsi.msu.edu/trfic/index.html

Who is affected?
Consider carefully these views. Who is not represented. Perhaps you should consider carefully the views of people who live in Brazil?
http://forests.org/forests/brazil.html

What are the different opinions in Brazil?
http://www.brazil.gov.br/ is the official government site and you can email the ministry of the environment.  However Sergio's site is the definitive list on Brazil - you may be able to find more opinions from Brazilians. http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~sergiok/brenvironment.html#start

A list of schools might also enable you to find other opinions of young people. Try the International Registry of Schools on the web http://web66.umn.edu/schools/BR/Brazil.html

 

Why is it happening?
What are the economic, social and political forces that encourage it?
http://www.dpi.inpe.br/Amazonia/pg12.html is quite a simple account but for those of you who are trying to develop your arguments - try this from a US university http://www.ciesin.org/TG/LU/deforest.html

The mineral explration companies have created this site on Amazon myths.
http://www.amazonmyths.com.br/indexengilsh.htm 


Also the Amazon Mineral explorers gives you some commercial insight into what is happening. http://sites.uol.com.br/jacobis/ame.htm

 

What are the views of environmental groups in the UK and abroad?
Here is an essay from Chico Mendes from one organisation in the USA.
http://www.nwf.org/internationalwildlife/esaynd98.html
Here are some images from the Rain-tree Foundation, the pharmacy of the world!  
http://www.realtime.net/~raintree/gallery/destruction.htm
The Rainforest Action Network is full of information and opinion. 
http://www.ran.org/ran/info_center/index.html

Think about the source of information here. Can you distinguish between fact and opinion.

  • Are the sources of information acknowledged?
  • Why are they saying what they are saying?
  • Can you find any Brazilian Environmentalists? Ambientalista is environmentalist in Portuguese!

What are the views of UK geographers about rainforests?

You should ask yourself about why Phillip Stott, Professor of Geography feels so strongly.http://www.ecotrop.org/

What ideas are there to exploit and conserve the rainforest at the sametime?[sustainable development]

Can you explain the story of Brazil Nuts? Use a web searcher to find out why it is impossible to grow the king of nuts in a plantation!

Raintree is a company interested in pharmaceutical properties of rainforest plants.www.rain-tree.com/comerce.htm but should you ask: How will the Brazilians themselves benefit from this company?

Are there other ideas?  Ecotourism? Ethical timber production?

What is evidence is missing?

What is your own view?