Essay
Gallery
Deforestation in Canada's boreal forest
by Yosuke Watanabe
In this essay I present my research on deforestation in Canada's boreal forest. I am going to cover two main points. I want to explore the following questions: What area of Canada's boreal forest has the logging industry cut down? And what can I do in order to protect Canada's boreal forest? First I will show you a brief answer to the former question and finally I will demonstrate a brief answer to the latter question.
In any study of deforestation in Canada's boreal forest, it is important to know the background details. Now, ancient forests left in the world are being destroyed. Almost 80 per cent of the world's original forests have been degraded or completely destroyed. Canada's boreal forest is one of the world's ancient forests. But Canada's boreal forest hasn't been completely destroyed.
Canada's boreal forest ecosystem is over 10,000 years old. In Canada's boreal forest, there are various animals. For example: woodland caribou, wolf and red fox. In order to protect Canada's boreal ecosystem, we must make an effort.
What are the causes of deforestation in Canada's boreal forest? I think deforestation in Canada's boreal forest is caused by deforestation in order to get building materials and consumer products like toilet paper, books and catalogues.
The effects are that the logging industry continues to cut down over 290,000 hectares of forest in Quebec, 185,000 hectares in Ontario and 67,000 hectares of forest in Alberta every year.
I think deforestation in Canada's boreal forest is similar to a large quantity of oil's consumption problem because in both cases there is the point of similarity. The point of similarity is that both oil and trees are limited resources. If we should continue to consume the limited resources, a day when we don't have papers or cars will come. However deforestation in Canada's boreal forest is different from oil's consumption problem because forests have a close relation to creatures. In addition deforestation will change ecosystems. But oil's consumption problem has no relation to creatures.
What area of Canada's boreal forest has the logging industry cut down? I will show you that the logging industry continues to cut down 290,000 hectares forest in Qubec, 185,000 hectares in Ontario and 67,000 hectares of forest in Alberta every year in Canada's boreal forest to create building materials and consumer products like toilet paper, office paper and books according to Greenpeace Website. I think that we have to create a resolution of cutting trees in forest because I think that if the logging industry should continue to cut down forests, we will live without papers and by cutting trees in forest animals' environment will change. I think that we must think of good ideas in order to protect these things.
I have shown brief answer to this question now. I will demonstrate following question. What can I do in order to protect Canada's boreal forest? When we buy tissue products like toilet paper and facial tissue, we must make sure that the tissue products have a high recycled content-100%. We must look for the FSC[Forest Steward Council] logo on wood and paper products. FSC certification is the only guarantee of managed forests according to Greenpeace Website. Therefore I think that these things are good ideas because if we were to buy only high recycled products and FSC's products, companies will cease to manufacture products made by deforestation. The reason is that consumers won't buy products made by cutting trees responsibly.
In brief I have shown the former question's answer and the latter question's answer. The situation might improve if we buy only high recycled products and FSC's products and try not to waste papers which are not needed. However the situation might deteriorate if we continue mass production by deforestation and mass consumption to satisfy wealthy people's desire. I think that if we should maintain our life style now, the situation deteriorate more and more. In addition I think that the most important thing is an improvement of our life style.
[Bibliography of references]
Greenpeace Website
URL: http://www.greenpeace.ca/e/campaign/boreal/background/threats.php
URL: http://www.greenpeace.ca/e/campaign/boreal/action/index.php
