December, 16 2018

Anani Kaike

I dedicate this article to the memory of Berta Cáceres. May there be justice for Berta. May her struggle and sacrifice not be forgotten. May that land that Berta died protecting be protected and may she NEVER BE FORGOTTEN.

“They are afraid of us because we are not afraid of them“ 
― Berta Cáceres

Around the world we see the examples of deforestation, the trees fall never to be replanted. The trees of forests around the world create oxygen for the entire world. A forest that creates more oxygen than any other source in the world is the Amazon. If these forests disappear, great amounts of CO2 will be released to create catastrophic climate change, drive countless species to extinction, and kill and destroy people and cultures. The Amazon Rainforest creates more than one third of the oxygen for the entire world. Imagine the effects if the forests disappear.

The Amazon Rainforest has lost 783,828 km2 (square kilometers)since 1977 at an average rate of 27,423 km2 per year. A particularly shocking year was 1995 at 29,059 Km2 of forest destroyed in that one year. The addition of the trans-amazonian highway accelerated the destruction of the Amazon even further. If the current deforestation continues then the Amazon will be gone in 40 years.

The destruction of the Amazon started early. The Portuguese found gold in the rivers in the 1600’s. They polluted and poisoned the waters and enslaved the native tribal people. The Portuguese then discovered the rubber trees and forced the tribal people again to work on rubber plantations. This effected the indigenous people that live in the forest, many of them were killed by the invasion of their homelands and their traditions were destroyed. 80 indigenous tribes were destroyed between 1900 and 1957, and over 800,000 indigenous people of the Amazon were killed. The murdering of Indigenous people, specifically land defenders continues on a daily basis. Look at examples like Berta Cáceres from Honduras who was killed recently, and so many others murdered everyday protecting their lands. These lands where their ancestors bones are buried, are the lands they have always lived on.

The Amazon’s biotic diversity: The Amazon is home to more than 3,000 unique animal species only found there. 20% of all species of animals in the world live in the Amazon. Of the 3,000 species there are 1,300 native birds accounting for a third of the worlds bird species as well as 427 mammals, 378 species of reptile and 400 amphibians. 1 in 10 of the worlds animals are from the amazon. There are 40,000 species of plants accounting for 20% of the worlds plant species, including 16,000 native tree species with new ones being found regularly. A square kilometer of the Amazon may contain as much as 90 tonnes of plants.

The biotic diversity of the Amazon is under such a great risk and that almost every species there is under risk. The causes include deforestation, intentional attempts to eradicate them and the complete destruction of their habitats. The destruction of the Amazon, the species, and the native tribes are intertwined. The habitat and animals are destroyed and then the tribes are destroyed.

The destruction and death of the Amazon rainforest is ongoing. Everyday trees fall, native tribal people are killed, animals are killed, the environment is further degraded and MotherEarth’s lungs collapse more with every tree that falls. There is one simple reason for this, GREED. No person with a heart could be capable of this destruction of MotherEarth. This forest is destroyed everyday primarily for growing soybeans and palm oil. Are these two things so important to people that it justifies thousands of acres of ancient forests to be killed? The soybeans are mainly used to feed cattle for McDonalds and other fast food chains. So is fast food, money and palm oil so very dear to people to let this happen? To kill and destroy an entire people and ecosystem for fast food that causes heart attacks, high cholesterol and many other health problems is insanity. Is this is what matters to humanity? MotherEarth is going to die and all life on earth is going with her. No plan to colonize Mars is going to save humanity.

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