| The Evils of Burning Down our Forests | | | | connection to the climate problem, saying the |
| What would become of the Earth's oxygen supply | | | | Chicken-Little environmentalists are just trying to |
| if all our forests were destroyed? | | | | throw anything and everything into the global |
| One report states that 30% of CO2 levels rising | | | | warming stewpot. You have to realize that on this |
| higher each year are due to deforestation, | | | | planet everything is interconnected. Everything! |
| particularly due to slash-and-burn operations, | | | | This one big living organism, our beloved Emerald |
| perpetrated by greedy, selfish cultivators, who | | | | Planet, needs our help. I don't think Ma Nature can |
| are ruthlessly raping our rainforests, such as in | | | | do it alone. We've got to stop attacking her and |
| South America and Africa. However, the brutality | | | | start working with her. Or we could be heading |
| of deforestation has been conducted in Brazil, | | | | toward mass-annihilation. Who wants that on their |
| Nigeria, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and even the United | | | | conscience? |
| States. In fact, slash-and-burn methods are | | | | You may have heard the theory that there once |
| conducted by more than two-hundred million | | | | was life on Mars, perhaps several thousands of |
| people across the planet, particularly in the nations | | | | years ago, of which there is some evidence. Did |
| listed above. Not only does the burning of these | | | | the Martians destroy themselves -- just like we |
| forests create pollution and higher CO2 levels, but | | | | are about to do? |
| the lack of these forestlands robs the planet of | | | | Gas Guzzlers Beware! |
| the necessary oxygen-producing trees that we | | | | Yes it's true! Fuel emissions are on the rise! Since |
| need for life-support. | | | | the world's population is approximately 6.6 billion |
| Another report states that a large portion of | | | | (and it's still growing!), does that mean there are |
| rainforest in South America, particularly Brazil, had | | | | approximately six-billion gas-spewing vehicles on |
| been burned down and replaced by soybean | | | | this planet as well? Alright, there are a few |
| farms. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on | | | | backward countries where the people either don't |
| how you look at it, the soybean crops failed. | | | | have automobiles or they're too poor to own |
| Why? Because the soil was naturally geared | | | | them, which means they probably use their feet |
| toward growing rainforests, not soybeans! And if | | | | or pedal bicycles to get around -- or the |
| those rainforests have been there for thousands | | | | occasional rickshaw. So even if we guesstimated |
| of years, do you think you can easily grow | | | | approximately five-billion automobiles and various |
| soybeans overnight? Obviously you need a certain | | | | other forms of transportation that are used on |
| kind of soil for soybeans, and then a certain kind | | | | the planet, we're talking about a massive amount |
| of soil for rainforests. Ma Nature seems to know | | | | of polluted air. Plus, let's throw in some |
| how to do this because she's the Master | | | | miscellaneous factories that chug out plumes of |
| Gardener. Perhaps we can learn from her. | | | | nasty smoke as well. Yes, we can see filthy |
| Intelligent environmentalists maintain the view that | | | | brown clouds over large cities, but a lot of this |
| the rainforests are the lungs of the world, as if | | | | dirty air, due to continual winds, is spread |
| our precious planet is a huge organism. Stop and | | | | throughout our atmosphere. That sounds like a |
| think about that for several moments. | | | | good thing, right? Nope! Those blowing winds are |
| If most of or all of our rainforests are destroyed, | | | | not going to solve the problem, as if making the |
| particularly in South America and Africa, you have | | | | pollution magically disappear; they're just |
| an organism that can't breathe very easily, and | | | | redistributing pollutants throughout the |
| there will be extreme oxygen depletion in our | | | | atmosphere. You could say the wind currents are |
| atmosphere. That is probably far more scarier | | | | playing a global shell game with pollutants. |
| than you can imagine. But the soybean farmers | | | | One report states that the net carbon-emission |
| would rather have money in their pockets from | | | | rate of the planet will have to be decreased by |
| selling soybeans than having good old-fashioned air | | | | roughly 60%, and on the outside by 80%. Yikes! |
| to breathe. I hate to bring up this next analogy, | | | | That sounds like a tall order! Not only that, but we |
| because there are a lot of smokers out there. | | | | would have to accomplish this by the year 2050 |
| Alright, you could liken the burning of rainforests | | | | to even begin to reach a place where we are |
| to the burning up lungs of a heavy smoker, | | | | marginally close to almost being safe! Does that |
| because it's much harder for a smoker to breathe | | | | mean all of us have to stop driving cars and flying |
| then a non-smoker. Incidentally, I'm an ex-smoker, | | | | airplanes, and close down our oil refineries and |
| so I stopped before it was too late, so I know | | | | factories, or even stop smoking? Holy moly! Now, |
| what it's like. | | | | how many billions of people are laughing about |
| Another fact is that our forests remove carbon | | | | how absurd this sounds? Go ahead and have your |
| dioxide and pollutants from the atmosphere, and | | | | laugh. Alright, if we sit back and idly do nothing |
| emits large quantities of oxygen back into it, | | | | about it, except gradually die off, how absurd |
| which helps stabilize life on the planet. It's also a | | | | does that sound? |
| fact that all plants, especially trees, deliver the | | | | How many billions of people really care about our |
| appropriate amount of revitalized oxygen in order | | | | precious planet? In today's modern society we |
| to support life on our planet. And yet another fact | | | | have become vehicularly-dependent, hence we |
| is that the rainforests produce about 40% of all | | | | are auto-addicts. Perhaps there needs to be a |
| the oxygen on the Earth. But if these precious | | | | new AA therapy program for these miserable |
| forests begin to disappear, so will our precious | | | | people -- all six-billion of them! I mean - us! Yeah, I |
| oxygen. There will be less air to breathe for our | | | | admit it, I'm one too. Perhaps we should start |
| inhabitants, 6.6 billion of us (not counting other | | | | Auto-addicts Anonymous! |
| life-forms), but since global warming will begin killing | | | | The Boiling Frog Syndrome |
| people off, maybe things will balance out in the | | | | Too many people are non-responsive because the |
| end. (Yeah right!) | | | | global warming problem appears to be too gradual. |
| Another report states that between 1960 and | | | | It seems there's nothing to really notice, that is, if |
| 1990 one-fifth of the planet's rainforests were | | | | you're not paying attention or conveniently putting |
| destroyed. If these kinds of deforesting | | | | your head in a hole in the ground. You could say |
| procedures continue, it is estimated that all tropical | | | | it's an illusion that the climate crisis seems to be |
| forests could disappear by the year 2090. That | | | | occurring slowly, but it's actually happening much |
| would definitely devastate the whole planet and its | | | | faster than you think. Within the last couple of |
| inhabitants -- to put it mildly | | | | decades there have been radical changes come |
| Deforestation, particularly caused by | | | | to pass, as we have discussed already. Let's not |
| slash-and-burning, wildfires, the occasional arsonist, | | | | forget those vanishing islands, or big chunks |
| and other tragic methods as well, leads to higher | | | | breaking away from the ice caps. |
| carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, so these | | | | The problem is that we humans also are stricken |
| heinous activities must be stopped, because our | | | | with the Boiling Frog Syndrome. You've probably |
| precious plant-life is extremely important, | | | | heard it by other names. Al Gore refers to this |
| especially our major forests. If all the forests | | | | analogy in his documentary, An Inconvenient |
| were ruthlessly destroyed, there would be nearly | | | | Truths. We all know that if you put a frog in a |
| 40% less oxygen on the planet, which means the | | | | saucepan of boiling water, it will immediately jump |
| CO2 levels would increase much higher, so this | | | | out. So you have to trick the little critter, put it in |
| would inevitably annihilate the inhabitants here. | | | | a pan of pleasantly cool water, and it will just sit |
| With CO2 levels increasing and oxygen decreasing, | | | | there. If you turn the burner on, and let the |
| that equals death to life on Earth. We would | | | | water very gradually warm up, keeping the |
| literally choke to death! | | | | burner on low, this particular frog, not being very |
| Although "reforestation" is practiced in some | | | | bright, will just sit there and eventually be boiled |
| areas, that is, the replanting of new trees, I don't | | | | to death, or so the theory goes. Personally, if I |
| think it's being done fast enough to replace all of | | | | was the frog, and the water was starting to get |
| our vital forests we have already lost. | | | | too hot, I would be urged to jump out. |
| More Bad News We Just Don't Want To Hear | | | | Unfortunately, there are too many frogs in the |
| Another side effect of global warming has been | | | | world that just don't care, and they're letting |
| "bad weather" anomalies, which means there will | | | | themselves be boiled to death. We need to have |
| be increased intensity and frequency of various | | | | a lot of smart frogs that are willing to jump out |
| weather patterns involving hurricanes, tornadoes, | | | | of the water before it boils. In other words, we |
| floods, and even droughts, and there will be major | | | | the people have to become vigilant participants |
| heat waves as well. There are also reports that | | | | and activists and crank the heat down. Which |
| estimate the possibility of the extinction of certain | | | | means we must do whatever it takes, even if |
| species. In fact, I recently heard in the news that | | | | that means making a lot of sacrifices to our |
| several species of birds are already dying off and | | | | personal lifestyles. |
| possibly becoming endangered. Another report | | | | Now the question is, how many frogs boiling in a |
| states that there will be an increase of diseases. | | | | saucepan does it take before there's too many? |
| In fact, thirty new diseases have arrived on the | | | | And will they get smart enough to jump out in |
| scene, just in the last quarter-century. Naturally, | | | | time? |
| the skeptical experts will deny this particular | | | | |