Destruction of Amazon Forest Accelerates

Disturbing news out of Brazil: once again the Amazon forest is being stripped at an alarming rate despite the government's efforts to limit the deforestation:

See the full IOL article

The destruction of the Amazon rainforest has surged in the past four months, raising the prospect of 2008 being a disastrous year for the world's most important eco-system, a senior Brazilian government scientist has warned.

While we fret with environmental issues at home (I live in the U.S.), every effort we make to become green seems pointless when weighed against the gross destruction taking place elsewhere on the continent. What is the worth of reducing my individual carbon footprint when the systematic destruction of the world's last, great rainforest threatens not just to undo the good works of the average Joe, but condemn us all to a frightening future (the article postulates that the Amazon might be eradicated as early as 2030)?

America, arguably the world's sole super-power, has staged interventions in Kosovo to prevent ethnic cleansing, and is currently operating on multiple fronts in the Middle East to fight terrorism. The loss of the Amazon potentially threatens, directly or indirectly, the lives of millions, globally. Is it not time for an intervention? Should we not act to preserve what remains of the vital ecological sites on our planet?

While the enemy is non-traditional and does not attack us physically or conventionally, the need for ecological security must be considered. If individual nations cannot or will not protect these resources, and these same resources affect us all, can we make an argument for some form of global police force to provide both physical protection of the resources and economic incentives for the local population.

A pipe-dream? Maybe. But can we afford to remain tolerant when the outcome threatens our future well-being? Food for thought.

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[edit on 24-1-2008 by Jbird]