Continued from Page 2
Please take a moment
before continuing
with
our story to learn
a bit more about
the Amazon
and what you can
do to help preserve
the
lung of the Earth The Amazon Basin contains the largest area
of tropical rainforest in the world. 60%
is in Brazil, but it also extends into 8
other nations—Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname,
French Guiana, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and
Columbia. Nine Brazilian states are part of “Amazonia”—from
Acre in the west,
(and moving, counter-clockwise,)
Rondonia, Mato Grosso,
Tocantins, Maranhao,
Para (with Belem,
its largest city, a major
historic center and
port at the mouth of
the Amazon), Amapa,
Roraima and the state
of Amazonas itself,
with its capital of Manaus.
Amazonia (3,904,393 square kilometers) makes
up half the total land area of Brazil, but
is home to only 19 million people out of
a total population of 157 million. At four
inhabitants per square kilometer, Amazonia
has one of the lowest population densities
on Earth. The Amazon River, by official measurement,
is the second longest river in the world,
but in many respects it’s the mightiest river
on the planet. (See Activities A.3 and 1.3.) The
Amazon basin holds one fifth of all the fresh,
river water in the world. The Amazon’s flow
is so strong that it carries sweet water
200 kilometers out to sea before the ocean
turns it salty! By some estimates, it discharges
as much water into the ocean in one day as
England’s Thames River does in a year. While the Amazon may seem far away, we are
intimately connected
to it through our
actions.
Fortunately, we can
make a difference
and
help conserve it
by making the right
choices
in our daily lives.
Threats to its incredible number of plant
and animal species
are largely the result
of consumer demand
for forest products.
By being smart consumers, we can help reduce
human pressures on
the forest and river
basin
and in the process
each of us can help
the
Amazon continues
humming, buzzing,
and roaring
with life.
Reduce your use
One of the easiest and most effective ways
to reduce demand for forest products is for
each of us to reduce the amount of paper we use in
our daily life. Print on both sides of a
piece of paper; recycle and encourage others
to do the same.
Buy sustainable products
Look for the Forest
Stewardship Council
(FSC)
logo when purchasing
wood and paper products-from
toilet paper to flooring.
This certifies
that the product
comes from a company
that
has made a commitment
to managing forests
in ways that help
protect biodiversity
and
respect the rights
of indigenous peoples.
You can also buy
recycled products.
Look for forest products that don't require
habitat destruction
There are alternatives
to many of the rain
forest products we
buy, like Brazil
nuts
and coffee, that
don't require the
destruction
of forest habitat.
Local people that
maintain
the ecological integrity
of the forests are
often helped through
the sales of these
products.
Purchase the right pets
Domesticated animals
usually make the
best
pets, but if you
do buy an exotic
species,
like a parrot, fish
or lizard, make sure
it was captive bred.
Many wild animals
are
illegally smuggled
out of the Amazon
to be
sold as pets in the
United States and
Europe,
and large numbers
of these animals
die in
the process.
It's important to
ask where exotic
animals
come from and to
require a store to
give
you proof of the
animal's origin.
Several
places in the Amazon
River Basin are now
developing certification
systems that will
contribute to local
economies while protecting
natural fish resources.
Be a smart tourist
Tourism to wilderness regions like the forests
of the Amazon Basin can sometimes harm the natural environment that draws visitors
in the first place. Before your next trip,
do some research and support ecotourism operations
that help protect biodiversity by creating
incentives to protect it.
Organized tours and
local facilities
that
are ecologically
sensitive can also
boost
the local economy,
creating demand for
accommodations,
food, and local guides
while minimizing
the
impact on the local
ecosystem. Update on the Amazon Rain Forest
December 11, 2007
Amazon Deforestation
Rates Decreasing,
Rainforests Still
Threatened
New data from the
government of Brazil
shows
that deforestation
rates for the Brazilian
Amazon from August
2006 to July 2007
have
fallen for the third
consecutive year
- and
are the lowest registered
for the region
since 1991.
While these rates
have reached historic
lows,
deforestation in
the Amazon still
proceeded
at an alarming speed.
During the government's
survey period more
than 2.7 million
acres
disappeared - equaling
about four football
fields of rainforest
per minute. There
are
also indications
that deforestation
rates
may be on the increase
since the end of
the
reporting period.
"The Amazon
has a unique and
irreplaceable
value, not only locally,
but globally. Our
recent report indicates
that 60 percent of
the Amazon's forests
could be gone by
2030,
releasing billion
of tons of CO2 to
the atmosphere,
with major contributions
to global warming",
warns Dr. Meg Symington,
WWF's priority leader
for the Amazon. "If
we are serious about
saving the Amazon,
the international
community
should support the
efforts of the Amazon
countries to stop
deforestation; the
Bali
conference provides
the opportunity to
act
now."
Deforestation and
its effect on climate
change
is one of the many
topics being discussed
at the ongoing UN
Climate Conference
in Bali,
Indonesia. Up to
75 percent of Brazilian
greenhouse gas emissions
come from deforestation
and forest fires
- mainly in the Amazon.
Because of this,
Brazil is the fourth
largest
climate polluter
in the world.
Strategies to halt
deforestation in
the Amazon
include minimizing
the negative impacts
from
cattle ranching and
infrastructure projects,
and rapidly expanding
the existing network
of protected areas.
WWF is also urging
the
government of Brazil
and other Amazon
countries
to protect their
rainforests by formally
recognizing their
natural value. Because
they stabilize local
and global climate,
and provide a host
of other goods and
services
to local residents,
intact rainforests
are
more economically
valuable than alternative
land uses such as
cattle ranching and
agriculture.
WWF has been at the
forefront of protecting
the Amazon for over
40 years. Along with
its coalition partners
WWF will continue
working across several
sectors of the Brazilian
government and civil
society to establish
broad support for
Amazon rainforest
conservation. Fast Facts: The Amazon contains one-third of the Earth's
remaining rain forests. These forests are
key to stabilizing local and global climate,
as they contain vast stores of carbon.
Agriculture is the
world's largest industry,
employing over one
billion people and
generating
over one trillion
dollars' worth of
food
annually.
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The Amazon Basin contains the largest area
of tropical rainforest in the world. 60%
is in Brazil, but it also extends into 8
other nations—Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname,
French Guiana, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and
Columbia. 
planet. (See Activities A.3 and 1.3.) The
Amazon basin holds one fifth of all the fresh,
river water in the world. The Amazon’s flow
is so strong that it carries sweet water
200 kilometers out to sea before the ocean
turns it salty! By some estimates, it discharges
as much water into the ocean in one day as
England’s Thames River does in a year. 
to reduce the amount of paper we use in
our daily life. Print on both sides of a
piece of paper; recycle and encourage others
to do the same. 
natural environment that draws visitors
in the first place. Before your next trip,
do some research and support ecotourism operations
that help protect biodiversity by creating
incentives to protect it. 
