EDITORIAL:
By Trevor McNeil
Fashionable Worries
The American journalist and satirist P.J. O’Rourke long ago identified what he termed, ‘fashionable worries.’ Ones which he laid out in detail in his 1994 book, All The Trouble In the World. It is doubtful that O’Rourke really meant to dismiss the listed issues as not being issues. I liken it to how people will take on new styles in clothing because they think they should. He seems a rather reasonable sort; and among his list of ‘fashionable worries’ is over population, and other such crises, that not even a Republican – which O’Rourke really isn’t – would argue are not really issues.
On Balance
What is far more likely, on balance of evidence, is that O’Rourke was being honest when he explained himself and why he wrote the book. He emphasized he was not making fun of the issues, but rather those who adopt them with no real idea of what those issues are really about, or any of the other major issues going on, for that matter. One of those identified was the depletion of the Amazon rain forest. An eco-system few understand; in a part of the world few Americans have ever visited.
This Again?
One of the issues O’Rourke touched on was environmentalism. In particular, the two largest issues of that day, 1) the depletion of the Amazon rain forest and 2) the hole in the ozone layer caused by Co2 emissions. Both of those issues going on, and being raised by those who pay attention to such things, since the 1970’s. Something anyone growing up in the 80’s and 90’s will certainly remember.
Hand Wringing
The difference? The hole in the ozone layer closed. The depletion of the Amazon rain forest, taking several species of animal with it, did not. Despite what many have assumed. Somehow, either by hand-wringing or innovation, the hole in space has closed, but those same methods have not stopped the destruction of the Amazon rain forest, one of the earth’s most famous, unique and irreplaceable eco-systems.
Reasons Why
Exactly why it is possible to close a hole in the sky, which humanity made in the first place, but the Amazon rain forest is still being depleted, permanently wiped off the face of the earth, is difficult to comprehend. The evidence would suggest that space is cool and being able to fix it makes us feel awesome and powerful, while trees and animals are boring. Never mind that the loss of the rain forest will have a devastating effect on the planet. Our planet, the on that we actually live on. Hey folks, there is no known viable alternative yet. I guess hamburgers must be worth risking the viability of life on earth.
Subsistence Farming
According to a 2019 study by Rhett A. Butler, “since 1978 over 750,000 square kilometers (289,000 square miles) of Amazon rain forest have been destroyed across Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, Venezuela, Suriname, Guyana, and French Guiana. This is known.” What is not so well-known is why. Cattle. According to Butler: “For most of human history, deforestation in the Amazon was primarily the product of subsistence farmers who cut down trees to produce crops for their families and local consumption”.
Large Scale Cattle-ranching
But in the later part of the 20th century, that began to change, with an increasing proportion of deforestation driven by industrial activities and large-scale agriculture. By the 2000’s more than three-quarters of forest clearing in the Amazon was for cattle-ranching. Cattle production is responsible for 80% of the deforested land. Brazil exports more beef than any other country on the planet, $6 billion dollars annually. Making cattle production a significant financial incentive to keep doing what they have been doing. The motivation behind the wild fires is greed.
Black Plumes Of Smoke
As black plumes of smoke-filled the sky and drifted thousands of miles darkening skies in Sao Paulo, 1700 miles away from the rain forest. People world-wide suddenly woke up. Protests in Brazil and cities around the world demanded a stop to the deforestation of the Amazon. Stop the wildfires was a clear demand. G-7 leaders (minus Trump) held emergency talks during the summit centering on the crisis.
Macron Applies Pressure
After loud vocal pressure from French president Macron, Brazilian president Bolsonaro relented from his prior position which had amounted to, “let her burn”. After world-wide outrage, Bolsonaro went on television to embrace, “protecting the rain forest (as) our duty.” It might not be “cool”, “sexy” or “in space”, there is at least one area, which we have known for decades, where the ozone, and the Amazon are the same. Humans have created the mess and we can clean it up. But, there is a timer on this looming planetary disaster fix. We as a world-wide community need more than anything to give a shit.
Sources:
HYPERLINK “https://rainforests.mongabay.com/amazon/amazon_destruction.html”https://rainforests.mongabay.com/amazon/amazon destruction.html
