Photos from open sources

The Amazon Delta is considered to be the lungs of our planet. Dense impenetrable forests growing on the banks of the mighty South American river produce colossal volumes of oxygen dispersed throughout the Earth. (website)

However, this state of affairs is rapidly changing. The governments of Colombia, Brazil and Peru are condoning the fact that their countries are deforesting the Amazon at a catastrophic rate in order to get quick money. Officials do not care that it will take centuries for the rainforests to recover to their former extent. And will someone let them recover when asphalt is being laid here and there and various structures are being erected?

Defenders of nature invariably protest against deforestation, year after year, but these protests do not produce any effect on the authorities. According to civil servants, several tens of square kilometers of cut down trees will not harm the environment. Fortunately, this irresponsible attitude of South Americans towards the Amazonian forests may soon change. And this will happen not thanks to the efforts of Greenpeace and other green vigilantes, but due to the fact that Indian tribes cut off from civilization live in the virgin jungle, which will certainly perish without “their home”.

A tribe of savages who have not been touched by civilization

A few years ago, Professor José Carlos Morales provided the world scientific community with an amazing video that excited the minds of not only scientists, but also ordinary people from all over the world. A footage taken near the Envira tributary of the Amazon in Brazil shows a tribe that has never interacted with the modern world. It is possible that the helicopter, from which this video was filmed, seemed to the Indians a terrible flying creature or some kind of magical thing. The helicopter with José and BBC journalists flew up to a distance of a kilometer to the settlement, but the savages quickly noticed it.

Photos from open sources

According to Morales, this is one of the few tribes that survived in the Amazonian forests. It is hard to believe that there are communities on our planet that have not developed for centuries, but this is true. The vast rainforest allows the Indians to live a full life, perhaps not even suspecting the existence of our civilization.

The savages spend the night in large huts and plant gardens with cassava, a root plant resembling potatoes. In the forest, the Indians collect bananas and papaya fruit, somewhat similar to a melon. It is possible that they also hunt.

The video below has become a real sensation. Until recently, Morales and his colleagues could not prove to the Brazilian authorities that tribes really live in the Amazon forests, which will certainly die out if the deforestation of the Amazon does not stop. At the same time, it is impossible to interact with savages in any case, since there is always a possibility that the chicken pox or flu familiar to us may be fatal for them.

The Brazilian government recently promised that it would not allow such a genocide. The only way out, scientists say, is to leave them alone and let them live the way they have lived all this time. And for this, you will have to leave alone their home, that is, the Amazon rainforest.

I sometimes have mixed feelings about the spectacle when entire alleys are destroyed on a grand scale to lay some small urban communication. :(No one thinks about the fact that a tree is also life, on which, in fact, the fate of mankind depends ...

Why are tropical forests disappearing?

Most of of these forests is located on the territory of the so-called third world countries. In principle, this is the key factor, because the local population not only considers forests to be the main source of income, but even the minimum environmental standards are not observed at the state level. Almost the entire economy of such countries is tied to the export of timber, which finances the social sector. In addition, the human population is growing extremely rapidly, which entails clearing for settlements and agricultural needs. When the productivity of the site falls, new territories are released from the forest, and this is repeated every time. In general terms, we can distinguish the following negative factors that affect the "lungs" of our planet:

• construction raw materials - the annual felling area is up to 5 million hectares;
• animal husbandry - by burning forests, entrepreneurs get new pastures;
• mining - sometimes a real treasure is hidden under the forest - rare metals and bauxites. For example, in Brazil, huge areas of forest were destroyed for this reason.

What needs to be done to save tropical forests

In my opinion, in view of the last point, it would be relevant to encourage those companies that, by extracting minerals, at least minimize the damage, and even better, restore damaged ecosystems. Secondly, it is necessary to promote the idea of ​​saving forests all over the world. Humanity must know what it is losing and explain it to future generations. By the way, in some countries this has long been practiced, for example, in Bolivia and the Republic of Madagascar.

In addition, it must be created World Organization, whose task would be to develop and implement rainforest restoration programs.

Saving the forest from destruction is the most important task for each of us. After all, forest resources are very necessary for people. Construction of houses, railways and ships, the manufacture of various products is not complete without wood. The need for the use of wood is extremely high, so the problem of deforestation has arisen. We just could not get around this topic, as a company that is engaged in the construction of wooden structures, and decided to study how to different countries save the forest.

On our planet, the forest is the focus of life and the habitat of a huge number of living organisms, due to which the Earth is also called the green planet. But today, only about half of all the forests that originally covered the planet remain. The concept of conquest has been defining in the relationship between man and the forest for several centuries. People simply cut down the forest that hindered the development of their activities, or used it as a commodity for profit. Such a consumerist and irresponsible attitude to nature, of course, did not go unpunished. After deforestation, erosion ate the soil, the rivers became covered with silt, fertile lands became impoverished, agriculture fell into decay and, as a result, the whole civilization. Here one can cite a bitter example of the degeneration of the ancient cultures of Mesopotamia, the Mediterranean, and Central America. The saddest thing is that over the past decades, the process of deforestation has only continued to gain momentum. That is, everyone knows about the problem, but they do not attach any importance to it, living here and now, without thinking at all about future generations and about what kind of world they will live in...

In February 2014, the World Resources Institute and Google launched a map showing real-time deforestation and reforestation around the world using Google Maps and Google Earth resources. The Global Forest Watch map can be found at: www.globalforestwatch.org

Such an important project is designed to monitor the situation with deforestation and reforestation in dynamics, in order to quickly respond and take measures to prevent and limit the loss of the Earth's forest resources. On the map, data has been provided since 2000, cleared forests are marked in pink, and new plantations are marked in blue. Since the year 2000, more than 2.5 million square kilometers of forest on Earth have been destroyed. Such figures indicate that since then an area of ​​​​forest equal to fifty football fields has been deforested daily. Most of the damage to forest resources was caused in Brazil, Canada, Indonesia, Russia and the United States.

Colombia's Amazon Forest Program

At the UN climate change summit on November 30, 2015, representatives of four countries: Colombia, Norway, Germany and the UK signed a cooperation agreement to reduce deforestation in the Amazon valleys. One hundred million dollars in funding has been allocated by signatory countries to implement the Amazon Vision program to save forests. The main goal of this program is the restoration of the Amazon forests - the green lungs of the planet.

US Rainforest Conservation Programs

One of the states that pays great attention to the issue of saving and restoring forests is the United States, which has already signed thirteen agreements with various countries. These are mostly South American countries, and programs created under rainforest conservation agreements will bring hundreds of millions of dollars in the coming years to protect biologically rich tropical rainforests. Countries that receive funding will redirect payments to local funds, which will ensure sustainable programmatic support for local forest conservation.

Saving the forests of Cameroon by specialists from Germany

GTZ is a German technical cooperation society that has been dealing with the problem of deforestation in Cameroon for many years and has been taking steps towards the wise use of forest resources. The second highest mountain in Africa, Cameroon, is surrounded by clouds almost all year round, and the northern slope of the mountain ranks second in the world in terms of precipitation. It is not surprising that in these places the soil is so fertile that even without cultivation, everything here grows by itself. To date, 2/3 of all tropical forests in Cameroon have been destroyed for the sake of tea plantations, where visiting workers work, who build new villages, continuing to cut down the forest. The German society for technical cooperation GTZ has been saving the remaining forest for years in order to save something for future generations, while also providing acceptable living conditions for the current local population.

Floating forest in the Netherlands

The Dutch are known to everyone as creative people with a non-standard approach to ordinary things. They even solved the problem of landscaping and forest conservation in a very original way. Already in the near future, namely, on March 16, 2016 in the Netherlands in the city of Rotterdam, a floating forest will appear, which will consist of twenty trees floating on the water. These trees, cut down during the construction of city buildings, have found new life. Previously, such trees were cut down, but now they are transplanted into a special Bomendepot park, which will donate the trees for a floating forest, created entirely with public contributions. The buoys from the North Sea, in which the trees are located, were provided by the water traffic agency Rijkswaterstaa. A tree from the Bomendepot nursery can be received and planted in a new place by anyone who has completed the relevant documents. The idea of ​​creating a non-trivial floating forest was inspired by the painting "In Search of Habitus" by artist Jorge Becker, members of the Mothership art association.

The role of birds in forest restoration

Researching African rainforests, Canadian scientists have discovered the important role of tree-eating birds in forest restoration. Seeds eaten by birds and passed through the digestive tract are not eaten by beetles. From this, the forest, where many birds live, recovers faster. With a decrease in the birds that inhabit the forest, the beetles completely destroy the seeds, which reduces the number of young shoots of trees. That is, the rapid reduction of tropical forests can now be explained not only by human activity. In some regions of East Africa, forests have not been cut down for a long time, but they still continue to disappear. A new discovery of the role of birds in forest restoration provides an opportunity to develop methods to save the African rainforests by preserving the necessary bird population in them.

Fight against forest pollution

Our country is rich in forests, but we, perhaps more than anyone else, are familiar with the problem of forest pollution. And, unfortunately, mostly our citizens themselves are the cause of this problem, and to such an extent that foreigners have to clean up the Ukrainian forest! English volunteers who have been coming to Ukraine for many years under the orphan assistance program once ended up in the outback of the country, where they were struck by the absolute indifference of the inhabitants to native nature. According to volunteers, nature in Ukraine is very beautiful, but incredibly polluted. Thus, through the efforts of English volunteers, the Waste Collection and Sorting Program in Ternova (a village in the Kharkiv region, Ukraine) was born. How is it that our people allowed so much rubbish that even foreigners had to clean it up? This is really very embarrassing and makes you think seriously, what do you think?

A ruthless attitude towards nature, deforestation and pollution have led to a sharp deterioration in the environment throughout our planet. Therefore, it is imperative for everyone to move from a consumer and predatory approach to the forest to a reasonable interaction with it, carrying out not only primary, but also secondary processing of wood raw materials, engaging in selective felling, without disturbing the natural growth of trees. It is also very important to restore the forest by planting additional trees.

The forest is, in truth, a source of life-giving force, without which life on Earth is impossible. And each of those who are now reading our news can contribute to the renewal of the forest and plant at least one tree on their own!

2. Forest resources of the world

3. The meaning of green cover

4. Rainforest Rescue:

b) the problem of tropical forests

5. Consequences of mass deforestation

6. Ways to solve the problem:

a) Greenpeace Russia

c) mitigation projects

7. Are there any results?

8. Conclusion

9. Charts and tables

10. Bibliography

Introduction.

When I chose the topic of my essay, I wanted to choose one that would be interesting to everyone, that would excite each of us. And I decided to write about some global problems Oh. But for me personally, global problems are primarily global environmental problems, and only then everything else. Today's environmental problem modern world acute and multifaceted, it requires an immediate solution. One of the most important environmental problems is the problem of green cover.

The fate of forests and the history of mankind on all continents were closely interconnected. Let's dive into the past. Forests served as the main source of food for primitive communities that lived by hunting and gathering. They were a source of fuel and building materials for the construction of dwellings. Forests served as a refuge for people and to a large extent - the basis of their economic activity. The life of forests and the life of people, the connections between them are reflected in the culture, mythology, religion of most peoples of the world. About 10,000 years ago, before the advent of agriculture, dense forests and other forested areas occupied more than 6 billion hectares of land surface.

But over the millennia, man has constantly increased his technical capabilities, increased intervention in nature, forgetting about the need to maintain biological balance in it. And today, by the end of the 20th century, their area has decreased by almost 1/3, and now they occupy only a little more than 4 billion hectares.

In my opinion, this is unfair to nature. Nature gave us life and endowed us with everything we need for a normal life. We are trying to live contrary to all the laws of nature, and this always leads to various environmental problems. If today we do not stop and think about our actions, then I am sure that in the near future we will turn our blooming garden, in a dead cemetery.

So, in my abstract, I would like to show the importance and relevance of my topic. I will also try to give some ways to solve the problem of green cover. I hope I can make it.

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Forest resources.

Forest resources play a huge role on Earth. They restore oxygen, restore groundwater, prevent soil destruction. The deforestation is accompanied by an immediate decrease in groundwater, which causes shallowing of rivers and drying up of soils. In addition, forest resources are a source of a variety of structural materials, and wood is still used as fuel in many parts of the world.

Forests cover less than 30% of the land. At the same time, the largest area of ​​forests has been preserved in Asia, the smallest in Australia. However, since the sizes of the continents are not the same, it is important to take into account their forest cover, i.e. the ratio of forested area to total area. According to this indicator, South America ranks first (see table). In the economic assessment of forest resources, such an indicator as timber reserves is of paramount importance. It is followed by Asia, South and North America. Of the individual states, four countries occupy the leading positions in the world in terms of timber reserves: Russia, Canada, Brazil and the United States.

At the same time, a large group of countries does not have forests, but woodlands. There are countries that are practically treeless, characterized by extremely arid conditions (Bahrain, Qatar, Libya, etc.).

On the map of the world's forest resources, two belts of enormous extent and approximately equal in size to forest areas and timber reserves are clearly visible: the northern forest belt and the southern forest belt. A feature of the species composition of trees in the northern zone is the sharp predominance here (especially in Russia) of conifers, while in the southern zone they are practically absent.

The countries that are poorest in forests are located between the northern and southern forest belts and are characterized by desert landscapes: Saudi Arabia, the countries of North Africa, the Persian Gulf, etc.

The real wealth of the world is the humid evergreen tropical forests located in the southern forest zone and playing an exceptional role in the development of organic life on our planet. Geographically, they are confined mainly to Central and South America, Equatorial Africa, as well as to India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, the islands of Oceania, etc.

Sustainable use of tropical rainforests is vital to the development of many countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America and Oceania. Meanwhile, the conditions of human habitat in these places are very difficult. First of all, we are talking about climatic discomfort.

So, the attitude of man to the forest cover of our planet must be urgently changed. Until now, a tree falling from the hand of a woodcutter or burned in Africa, the Amazon, South Asia or Siberia, was considered only from the point of view of its economic value. Today it is time to oppose it with the ecological price of each tree.

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The meaning of green cover.

Forest communities play an essential role in the normal functioning of natural ecosystems. They absorb atmospheric pollution of anthropogenic origin, protect the soil from erosion, regulate the normal flow of surface water, prevent the decrease in the level of groundwater and the silting of rivers, canals and reservoirs.

The forests are lungs of the planet”, and the decrease in forest area disrupts the cycle of oxygen and carbon in the biosphere.

Despite the fact that the catastrophic consequences of deforestation are already widely known, their destruction continues. Currently, the total area of ​​forests on the planet is about 42 million square meters. km, but it annually decreases by 2%. Tropical rainforests are being destroyed especially intensively in Asia, Africa, America and some other regions of the world. So, in Africa, forests used to occupy about 60% of its territory, and now - only about 17%. The areas of forests in our country have also significantly decreased.

The reduction of forests entails the death of their richest flora and fauna. Man impoverishes the appearance of his planet.

Other global problems that may arise in connection with mass deforestation are desertification, soil erosion, the “greenhouse effect”, a decrease in the level of oxygen in the atmosphere, etc.

It would be possible to solve this problem by reducing the mass destruction of forests, carrying out artificial afforestation, thereby establishing a balance in the carbon cycle.

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Save the rainforest.

For a long time there was not, and now there is no final geographical (and geobotanical) approach to the definition of the term "Wet tropics", there is no generally accepted typological and spatial differentiation.

In 1956, the city of Kandy (Sri Lanka) hosted the first international symposium under the auspices of UNESCO to coordinate the study of the humid tropics. It was noted that the division of the entire tropical belt outside the stable arid territories into only two parts prevails in the works:

Semiarid - the predominance of the dry season during the year

Wet (humid) - precipitation falls during most of the year and their average annual amount is more than 1000 mm. Naturally, the second part is referred to as humid tropical forests. Then, in the assumptions of UNESCO experts, all those areas where regular rains fall 8-11 months a year were assigned to the constantly wet tropics.

In the 1980s, Myers proposed a definition of permanent rainforest that seems to be the most successful. It is based on indicators that characterize the climate in terms of the possibility of the existence and development of the biome of the primary evergreen forest as the dominant type of ecosystems. These are areas where at least every two years out of three years, the precipitation of each month is more than 100 mm, and the average annual temperature is not lower than 24 ° C, in the absence of temperatures close to zero.

Tropical rainforests are distributed mainly near the equator, on both sides of it. They cover vast areas - especially in South America, South-East Asia and Africa. The largest of these areas is the lowlands of the Amazon basin and its tributaries. This huge area, which Alexander Humboldt called hylaea (a forested area), is considered a kind of model, a standard of tropical wet forest. From west to east it stretches for 3600 km, and from north to south - for 2800 km. Another major area of ​​tropical rainforest is on the east coast of Brazil. In Asia, tropical rainforest extends from Burma and Thailand through Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines to northern Australia. In Africa, a continuous array of such forests stretches along the coastal territories from Guinea to the mouth of the Congo.

b) saving the rainforest.

Tropical rainforests are of the greatest concern. They stretch in a wide strip along the equator through South America(mainly Brazil), Africa (mainly Zaire) and Indonesia, hosting millions of plant and animal species, many of which are still unknown to science. In addition, according to many scientists, the climate of the globe depends on these forests. Their destruction leads at least to a significant increase in the content of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which in turn causes climate warming. And despite all this, rainforests are being destroyed at a phenomenal rate; in the twentieth century about half of the tropical forests have been destroyed, and in our time their annual losses amount to 16-17 million hectares, which is twice the level of losses in 1980 and corresponds to the area of ​​Japan. If such rates are maintained (and they are not decreasing), only miserable remnants of this biome will remain in the next 10-20 years.

Such destruction is caused by a number of factors, and together they boil down to one common cause: all countries where rainforests are located are poor, and their population is growing uncontrollably. A huge number of young people cannot find work here or live on land that is barely able to feed their parents. So they burn forests to clear land for farmland and cut down trees for firewood and commercial timber for themselves and for sale. Unfortunately, the soil in the tropics is not very suitable for cultivation, as it quickly loses nutrients and mineralizes, turning into a hard crust that cannot be plowed. This leads to further deforestation and the abandonment of more and more hectares of barren land.

The problem is exacerbated due to the short-sighted policies of the governments of these countries. They are heavily indebted (Brazil has over $100 billion) from past borrowing. The main "resource" of these countries is the forest. To pay interest on loans, they sell logging rights to multinational companies that, in order to obtain valuable wood for making furniture, rapaciously destroy forests with no concern for their restoration. In other words, they treat the forest as "communal land" from which, while possible, the maximum should be made. They are not interested in maintaining a sustainable level of exploitation and do not care about it. Similarly, companies are being sold the rights to clear forests for pasture where cattle are fattened to feed a chain of eateries selling cheap hamburgers. And again, everyone will suffer. We see how the purchasing power of rich countries is driving the destruction of the world's biota. However, everyone will eventually suffer from this.

Developing countries, especially those in the tropics, have insisted that the decisions of the Rio Conference apply to forests of all zones - tropical, temperate and boreal, since deforestation and forest degradation are common to all countries of the world. Annually, 3.4 billion m3 of wood is removed from forests, with 50% of harvests occurring in Canada, the United States and the Territory. former USSR. The rate of deforestation is accelerating rapidly. Half of all loss of forested areas occurs in the last 20 years.

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Consequences of massive deforestation.

Change in the composition of the atmosphere

Tropical forests, while providing a significant part of biological production, utilize a huge part of the annual CO2 released into the atmosphere.

Since 1958, Charles Keeling, an employee of the Skripp Institute of Oceanography, has been systematically monitoring the content of CO2 in the atmosphere. Scientists from a number of other countries are engaged in similar work. Samples are taken at the South Pole, in Australia, in Alaska and in other places, the accumulated data allow us to draw an unambiguous conclusion. From 1850 to 1980, for 130 years, as a result of anthropogenic activity, the content of CO2 in the atmosphere increased by 1.3 times. It appears that 25 percent of this increase has occurred in the last decade (1970-1980) (Newman 1988). If this trend continues, by 2020 the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere will double. To date, the content of CO2 is 0.035 percent.

CO2 and a number of other gases - atmospheric impurities, as well as water vapor absorb thermal energy in the infrared wavelength range - this phenomenon is called the greenhouse effect. The Antarctic polar cap covers an area of ​​15.6 million square meters. km. If this ice melts, all coastal cities will be flooded. The West Antarctic Shield could melt in about 50 years if deforestation and burning of fossil fuels continues at the current pace.

A twofold increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide causes an increase in temperature by 2-3 degrees. At the same time, it must also be borne in mind that at the poles the temperature is growing 3-5 times faster than in the rest of the globe.

Albedo effect.

Deforestation over large areas will increase the reflectivity of the Earth. This will change wind currents, circulation and convection air masses. As a result, precipitation will decrease in the equatorial zones, which will eventually lead to desertification.

Soil erosion.

Soil erosion is directly related to massive deforestation. After all, where there was a forest, the soil was held by the powerful roots of trees, there was a constant exchange of substances between the soil and the forest. But with the disappearance of the forest, the fertile soil layer also disappears. Therefore, treeless slopes of hills are subjected to especially strong erosion. And now there are more and more such treeless areas, and, consequently, there is less and less fertile soil.

Soil erosion - a purely local phenomenon - has now become universal. For example, as a result of deforestation, the once prosperous countries of the former East and North Africa have turned half into deserts. Syria, for example, supplied Egypt with timber, and North Africa was the breadbasket of Rome. The growing depletion of the cultivated areas of these countries led to the decline of agriculture. Here it is appropriate to recall that forests, in addition, are the most important accumulators of moisture. For example, 1 hectare of beech holds from 3000 to 5000 m3 of water, evaporating 2000 m3. In the US, about 44% of cultivated land is subject to erosion. In Russia, unique rich black soils with a humus content of 14-16%, which were called the citadel of Russian agriculture, disappeared. In Russia, the areas of the most fertile lands with a humus content of 10-13% have decreased by almost 5 times.

Soil erosion not only reduces fertility and reduces crop yields. As a result of soil erosion, artificially constructed water reservoirs are silting up much faster than is usually envisaged in projects, and the possibility of irrigation for obtaining electricity from hydroelectric power plants is reduced.

When clearing forests in regions such as the humid tropics, which are characterized by heavy rains, the planar washout increases sharply. Given the fact that the fertile soil layer is very small, washout leads to the complete destruction of fertility and the alienation of land. If there is a lateritic horizon in the soil, a hard shell comes to the day surface and the restoration of the forest landscape is impossible at all.

The Amazon carries 1/5 of the volume of river water on the planet. Deforestation of watershed forests generates pronounced soil erosion and siltation of the river. As a result, the number of fish decreases.

Disease outbreaks.

Very often, deforestation leads to sharp outbreaks of infectious diseases, which are carried mainly by insects. Under normal conditions, the latter live in the upper tiers, and the probability of them getting to the surface of the earth is small. Thus, malarial mosquitoes breed in stagnant water, the amount of which increases sharply in the process of deforestation, since there are no water-retaining agents - trees of the upper tier.

Desertification.

With the massive deforestation, desertification occurs in parallel, which this moment is one of the most significant global problems of mankind.

Desertification is accompanied by many-sided severe consequences. The productivity of crops is decreasing, there are lean years both on irrigated and upland (i.e. non-irrigated) lands. The productivity of pastures is decreasing and, accordingly, there is less and less fodder left for livestock. There are fewer shrubs and trees, and therefore people have to go farther and farther in search of fuel for cooking. There is also less and less water, as surface runoff decreases and groundwater supplies decrease. The sands are advancing on agricultural land, on people's dwellings and on the road network.

Desertification is a process of degradation of all natural life support systems: in order to survive, the local population must either receive outside help or leave in search of lands suitable for life. Everything in the world more people become environmental refugees

One of the most global and rapid processes of our time is the expansion of desertification, the fall and, in the most extreme cases, the complete destruction of the biological potential of the Earth, which leads to conditions similar to those of a natural desert.

Natural deserts and semi-deserts occupy more than 1/3 earth's surface. About 15% of the world's population lives on these lands. Deserts are areas with an extremely dry continental climate, usually receiving an average of only 150-175 mm of precipitation per year. Evaporation from them is much higher than their moisture content. The most extensive arrays of deserts are located on both sides of the equator, between 15 and 45 0 north latitude, and in Central Asia and Kazakhstan deserts reach 50 0 north latitude. Deserts are natural formations that play a certain role in the overall ecological balance of the planet's landscapes.

As a result of human activity, by the last quarter of the XX century. more than 9 million km 2 of deserts appeared, and of this they already covered 43% of the total land area.

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Ways to solve the problem.

In general, all the global problems of the world should be solved by all countries together, simultaneously and jointly. Actions must be well organized and all consequences must be foreseen. Otherwise, it will turn out, as in Krylov's fable about the swan, cancer and pike, i.e. if each country solves the problem on its own, the “things” will not move anywhere.

But before moving on to a global solution to the problem, you need to understand your own country. And in Russia, in my opinion, there is only one organization that really tries to solve environmental problems - Greenpeace Russia. Here is one of her projects.

Greenpeace Russia:

Formation of a system of sustainable, socially and environmentally responsible forest management.

The modern system of organizing forestry and forest management in Russia is extremely far from the principles of sustainable forest management (although these principles are declared by the Forest Code of the Russian Federation). Despite the clearly "calming" data of the state accounting of the forest fund, in most regions the condition of forests is deteriorating every year, and the number of environmental problems is increasing. Even from a purely economic point of view, the modern forest management system in Russia cannot be called sustainable and rational. Due to the uncontrolled and direct commercial interest of the forestry authorities in the harvesting of commercial timber in the care of the forest, field cuttings have become widespread (i.e. cuttings in which the best wood is selected from the forest, and first of all, what is difficult or impossible to sell is left) .

The main reason for the instability of the forest management system is the practical free use of forests. Timber is sold to forest users "on the vine" for almost nothing, for a symbolic reward - the average price of timber sold on the vine in Karelia, for example, is about 32 rubles per cubic meter, and in many taiga regions it does not exceed 20 rubles per cubic meter. For comparison: in Canada, close to Russia in terms of natural conditions and the conditions of timber harvesting, this price is about $17 per cubic meter (15-25 times higher); in northern Europe, for standing timber of appropriate quality, the price can be 40-50 times higher than in Russia. Moreover: in Russia, many loggers get the right to cut wood for free. Thus, the forestry enterprises of the Federal Forestry Service do not pay anything for the right to cut trees, which are obliged (formally) to direct the funds earned from cutting to forestry needs.

The modern forest management system is so far from the principles of sustainable development that it needs a radical transformation, rather than correcting individual shortcomings. In this regard, Greenpeace Russia considers the reform of the Russian forest service and the entire forest management system as the most important environmental task. As part of this task, Greenpeace Russia considers it necessary (and is actively working on this) first of all to eliminate the commercial interest of state forest management bodies in obtaining the maximum immediate benefits from timber harvesting, as well as to raise the price for the right to exploit forest resources to a level that ensures compensation for protection costs. , cultivation and reproduction of forests, work to preserve their biological diversity and environment-forming functions.

However, against the general background of the collapse of the state forest guard, the dubious nature of the activities federal service forestry, the almost wholesale criminalization of the forestry and pulp and paper industries, there are positive examples of enterprises in Russia that really strive to work with forests as a common human asset and a unique natural object. Greenpeace Russia considers one of its most important tasks to be the creation of a support system for such enterprises, primarily through the introduction of voluntary independent certification of forest management. Currently, Greenpeace Russia actively promotes the development in Russia of one of the most recognized forest certification systems in the world, developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Through the joint efforts of all interested parties in Russia, a working group has already been formed and is operating on this certification system. However, Greenpeace Russia is also considering the possibility of creating an independent Russian certification system, and some large Russian enterprises have already shown interest in this.

For the conservation of forests in Russia, Greenpeace considers the following tasks to be the most important:

Reform of state forest management bodies. Separation of the functions of state control over the protection, protection, use and reproduction of forests and the functions of forest management between different departments.

Increasing the minimum rates of forest taxes for standing timber to the extent corresponding to or exceeding the real costs of protection, protection, reproduction and control over the use of forests. Establish a mechanism to ensure that funds are allocated for these purposes. Deprivation of state bodies engaged in forestry management of benefits for paying for standing timber.

Bringing the normative and technical base of forestry in line with the current legislation (in particular, the Laws "On the Protection of the Environment", "On Specially Protected natural areas”, “On the Fauna”, the Water Code of the Russian Federation and others), as well as the norms international law. Development and implementation of regulatory legal acts that implement the provisions declared in the Forest Code of the Russian Federation on integrated multi-purpose forest management and conservation of biological diversity.

Introduction of the practice of voluntary non-state certification of forest management and forest use, providing the consumer with independent information on compliance with environmental, social and economic standards and requirements by enterprises that have sold standing timber and harvested timber.

Prohibition of establishing limited access to information on the state of the forest fund and forest management. Ensuring the right of Russian citizens to receive information about the forest fund and forest management at a price not exceeding the technical costs of selecting and copying relevant materials.

Creation of a system of independent inspections of the activities of state forestry bodies, with the participation of the public or by public organizations. Establishment in all regions of public forest inspectorates with access to all non-commercial and non-secret information about forest management and forest use.

Carrying out an inventory of the large forest areas that have been preserved in Russia, poorly transformed by human economic activity, as well as other forest areas that are especially important from the point of view of the conservation of biological and landscape diversity. Creation of a regulatory and legal framework for the conservation of these territories. Reservation of these territories with a ban on any economic activity until the final decision on the optimal forms and methods of their protection.

Projects to reduce the negative consequences of economic impact.

First of all, perhaps, the policy of Costa Rica should be cited as an example. This country, occupying only 50,700 sq. km., is the owner of one of the richest biological heritage. There are 12 thousand species of plants. The country took almost 1/5 of the territory under protection in one form or another, creating 22 reserves and sanctuaries.

10 percent of the territory is completely given over to National parks. With regard to the lack of land, it is known that the flooded areas of the floodplains - "varzea-kamps" - are so fertile that they can withstand any agricultural load. There you can harvest rice three times a year at 18 tons per hectare (on irrigated lands - 3-4 tons).

There are 4 principles of intensive farming in the tropics:

The nutrient cycle must remain closed.

It is impossible to open the forest canopy in order to avoid the destruction of the litter.

A strict calculation of the applied fertilizers is required.

Biodiversity should be maintained at a level that inhibits excessive activity and competition of pests.

To date, a fertility preservation technique has been developed that reproduces the cycle of natural regeneration. At the same time, the system "from farm to forest" is copied, consistently using useful plants in each stage of the cycle:

Planting herbaceous crops (Ananas comosus, Saccharum officinarum, etc.).

At the same time, trees that are part of the primary forest (peach palm, Brazil nuts, etc.) are introduced.

The Indian state of Gujarat has a well-established system of reforestation. Eucalyptus trees are planted on cut areas, which rise 25 meters in 4.5 years. After harvesting, undergrowth remains, allowing several more cuttings to be made before a new planting is needed.

In New Guinea, an experimental test of the crop rotation system is being carried out. After harvesting the food crop, a fast-growing, nitrogen-fixing Papuan casuarina is planted to restore nutrient cycling.

For the universal regulation of nature management in the humid tropics, it is necessary to create an international commission for the study and protection of tropical forests. The work of this committee shall be as follows:

1) Development of security projects.

2) Publication of common legislation for all with the introduction of relevant norms.

3) Monitoring the implementation of these laws.

4) Extensive study of the nature of the tropics and systematic general monitoring.

Such an organization should include both environmental experts and biologists of various specializations, landscape scientists, economists, as well as representatives of other branches of science. The activities of the commission should be financed by taxes, by visiting national parks by tourists and other income. An indispensable condition for the activities of industrial corporations should be the DEP - Report on the environmental consequences of the exploitation of a given region. /Naturally, the DEP should be presented by the interested company before the start of logging/. Holding environmental protection measures in the affected area should be stimulated by taxes. You can provide for a partial refund of tax amounts for careful adherence to the rules.

Economy equatorial countries needs partial revision - these countries actually have a monopoly on many products, from which they should benefit, which would compensate for the damage from agricultural activities.

The problems of tropical rainforests outlined above should be studied and analyzed from an ecological, more precisely, ecological-economic point of view. The tropical rainforest is a complex integral system that has its own patterns of functioning. Consequently, it is necessary to transfer the methods of managing the economy in the tropical zone to a new stage of development in order to reduce the consequences of economic activity and prevent a global catastrophe.

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Are there any results?

However, it seems that humanity is already aware that its existence on the planet is inextricably linked with life and well-being. forest ecosystems. The serious warnings of scientists in the declarations of the United Nations, others international organizations began to resonate. AT last years In many countries of the world, artificial afforestation and the organization of highly productive forest plantations began to be successfully carried out.

Timber processing giants are going green.

In recent years, wood processing companies have begun to seriously improve their "environmental image". Among the leaders of "ecobusiness" are not only mobile, small firms that can quickly rebuild, but also giants that are stable in the international market.

Recently, on its decision to abandon the use of wood cut in intact areas from September 2000 natural forests, announced the Swedish company IKEA. It is one of the largest furniture manufacturers and suppliers in Europe, with factories and stores located in 28 countries.

Less than 20% of the planet's forest cover has been preserved in natural, little-changed by man forests, and this figure continues to inevitably decrease every year.

Since January 1997, the Finnish companies ENSO and UPMKummene have introduced a moratorium on cutting down and purchasing wood from virgin forests in Karelia and the Murmansk region. Every year they extend the moratorium, negotiations are underway to extend it to other regions (Komi, Vologda, Arkhangelsk, Kirov regions).

In 1998, the Canadian firm McBlodel abandoned clearcutting in forests of significant environmental importance.

The list of companies that have declared their refusal to use wood from environmentally vulnerable "old-growth" forests has been supplemented"

· In December 1998, JSC Svetogorsk, one of the largest paper producers in Russia with an annual wood consumption of more than 1 million cubic meters;

· In August 1999 - the American company HomeDepot, the largest supplier of home building products in the United States;

· In October 1999 - one of the world's leading paper manufacturers InternationalPaper (USA);

· In November, 1999 - the American company WickesLumber (10th place among the companies trading in products for house building in the USA).

Of course, such significant shifts in the minds of businessmen and officials are not accidental. Behind each of these statements is the painstaking work of environmental non-governmental organizations. And not the last role belongs to GREENPEACE.

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Conclusion.

In conclusion, I would like to say that all environmental problems, and even more so the problem of green cover, require mankind to work hard and painstakingly to develop ways to solve them. But all the global problems of the world are interconnected. So, the main objective, which a person should put in the first place, is the rallying of all countries of the world, this is help developed countries developing. After all, until the problem of hunger, poverty, illiteracy is solved, the ecological problems of the world will not be solved. This, of course, also applies to the topic of my essay. After all, a large area of ​​forests is at the disposal of developing countries. In the tree, they see a way of survival and irrationally use the precious forest resources on which the life of the whole world depends.

It is widely known that the first tree cut down was the beginning of civilization, and the last one will mean its end. A person should constantly remember this, since over the past 200 years the area of ​​​​the Earth's forests has decreased by at least 2 times, and today the Earth looks already very "bald". Annually in the world, forests are destroyed on an area of ​​125 thousand km2, which is equal to the territory of such countries as Austria and Switzerland combined.

All this leads to the destruction of the unique gene pool of forests, disruption of the water regime of vast areas, desertification, soil erosion, and a decrease in the role of forests as the “lungs of the planet”. In other words, we do everything to sink the "raft" on which we live.

So, the problem of green cover, as one of the global problems of modern ecology, affects all countries of the world, since environmental problems “do not recognize” state borders. Therefore, this problem can be solved only with broad international cooperation.

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Bibliography.

1. M.B. Gornung "Permanently wet tropics: Changing the natural environment under the influence of economic activity"; publishing house "Thought"; 1984

2. K.N. Lukashev "Man and Nature"; publishing house "Science and technology"; 1984

3. V.D. Bondarenko "Culture of communication with nature", publishing house "Agropromizdat", 1987

4. David Ettenborough living planet» Mir publishing house; 1988

5. A. Newman “Lungs of our planet. The humid tropical forest is the most threatened biocenosis on Earth”; publishing house "Mir"; 1989

6. A. Shuvalov, E. Usov; well. "Greanpeace in Russia"; 1993

7. Encyclopedia for children: V.3 (Geography); "Avanta+"; 1994

8. J-l. "Call of Taiga"; publishing house "Dalnauka"; 1997

9. J-l. "Greenpeace Russia"; 1999

10. Environmental Environmental Bulletin "Everything Living" No. 1; Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk; 1999

Forest Resources of the World (1988)

Causes of land degradation in different regions of the world

HOW CAN WE SAVE THE TROPICAL FORESTS?

Tropical forests are disappearing very quickly. But the good news is that many people want to save the rainforests. The bad news is that saving rainforests is no easy feat. It will take the efforts of many people working together to ensure the survival of the rainforest and its wildlife for your children to appreciate and enjoy the fruits of our efforts.

Some ways to save rainforests and, more broadly, ecosystems around the world should focus on "TREES":

• Teach others the importance environment and how they can help save rainforests.
• Restore damaged ecosystems by planting trees on land where forests have been cleared.
• Encourage people to live in a way that does not harm the environment
• Create natural parks to protect rainforests and wildlife
• Support companies that use practices that minimize damage to the environment