Saturday, August 17, 2013

Problems in Malaysia Concerning Deforestation


In the country of Malaysia forests are being harvested and destroyed by its government for economic gain and one family in particular is making billions off the destruction because of it.  A woman by the name of Clare Brown is a reporter who is originally from Malaysia but moved as a child to England is working hard trying to prevent further damage to the forests by telling the citizens of Malaysia what is going on by radio, internet, and social networks.  There many obstacles in her way as she attempts to save the forests of Malaysia.  The Malaysia government is not giving up easy and is trying to promote itself as a helper of the environment instead of the truth.  I think that Malaysia's forests should be preserved and I am proud that Clare is not giving up and is trying to make a difference in Malaysia no matter what its government does.


http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/17/world/asia/barred-from-malaysia-but-still-connecting-with-critical-jabs.html?ref=earth&_r=0

3 comments:

  1. It is people like Clare Brown that really exemplify the goodness of human beings, while the family who is profiting from the deforestation do the opposite by showing everything that is wrong with mankind. The Malaysian government seems a bit corrupt, and it would not be impossible if this wealthy family had a strong hand in the dealings of the government. By eliminating so many acres of forest, this family is helping destroy the planet. Trees take in carbon dioxide and create oxygen in order to make food, and humanity makes the most carbon dioxide than any other species because of our technology. Destroying too many trees means that the planet will have too much carbon dioxide and not enough oxygen, therefore, the world will not be able to support our current population size. Deforestation will not only decrease the amount of trees and oxygen, but it will also effect the life of local species. Certain types of animals may be eliminated if the deforestation continues. Deforestation must stop all around the world so that humanity can have a cleaner future.

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  2. I agree with River that it is people like Clare Brown who make the world a better place. According to an article I read, satellite imagery shows that, astonishingly, Malaysia is destroying forests more than three times faster than all of Asia combined. Malaysia is uprooting an average of two percent of the rain forest per year, converting it into palm oil plantations. This extreme deforestation is taking a tremendous toll on Malaysia’s peatland forests which house numerous endangered species such as the Borneo Pygmy elephant and the Sumatran rhino as well unique vegetation and timber. I believe that it is necessary for Malaysia to find a more sustainable way to obtain palm oil. In order for these rain forests to be preserved, though, companies and consumers will need to insist on using only “deforestation-free” sources of palm oil. I think that Clare Brown is absolutely doing the right thing by attempting to educate the public about the wrongdoing that is occurring in Malaysia. It is unfair that the government of Malaysia does not own up to the dangerously fast progression of deforestation that is taking place, and it is only just for the citizens to be exposed to what is occurring , allowing them to take a stand for their environment.

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    Replies
    1. Link to the article/statistics: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/05/malaysia-deforestation-is_n_816779.html

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