Should Deforestation be Allowed?

Candidate Name

: Adam Harrish bin Md Kamal

Centre Name

: Taylors College Sri Hartamas

Candidate/ Centre No: MY212/0023

Subject Code

: 9776/3

Should Deforestation be Allowed? (transcript)

The Earth's natural forests cover a very large area; 39.5 million square kilometers or about
30% of the worlds land area. Forests rainforests are bastions of wildlife, both fauna and
fauna. Subtle yet pivotal roles are played by forests in maintaining earth's stable climate via
the nitrogen cycle, carbon cycle and functioning as water catchment areas. Yet, to satisfy
man's ever-growing demand for land and forest resources, trees of the forests are felled and
animals are effectively displaced from their natural habitat. This, by Merriam-Webster's
Learner's Dictionarys definition is deforestation which is defined as the act or result of
cutting down or burning all the trees in an area. The net rate of deforestation accounting for
both the rate of deforestation and reforestation (replanting trees) is about 73,000 square km
per year or 200 km2 per day. This global phenomenon raises concerns. Should deforestation
be allowed? On one perspective deforestation should not be allowed and forests should be left
to its own devices, untouched by man. On the opposing perspective, deforestation should be
allowed and is necessary for progress. We would be discussing both perspectives and the
evidences put forward by both sides.
Firstly, deforestation should not be allowed because the biodiversity in forests and other
ecosystems have inherent value. Document 3 from the pre-released materials concludes that
society should be encouraged to recognise this inherent value by ensuring people have more
direct contact with nature and have better education on nature. The speaker, Professor Doctor
Jahboury Ghazoul also believes that nature should neither be purely valued economically nor
by the role it plays. According to The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology website, Mr
Ghazoul was a lecturer and a professor of ecology at the Imperial College of London and in
Zurich respectively, so it can be seen that Prof. Ghazoul has both the reputation and expertise
to discuss ecological issues like this. He believes that if we solely valued forests by the role it
plays for instance, as carbon sinks, the forests' 'services' would be essentially be rendered
obsolete if Carbon Capture and Storage systems are advanced enough. Prof. Ghazoul also
feels that humans should not be destroying forests and instead conserve its biodiversity. The
reasons cited was because humans should acknowledge that their responsibility to the world
is as of pinnacle importance as their responsibility to society. Also, Mr Ghazoul argues that
persuading people biodiversity has inherent value will not work, but a more effective way is
to inspire people of nature's wonders. However, this idea does sound somewhat like a
generalisation. Not everyone would fail to realise the inherent value of nature if this value
was elaborated clearly from the angles of science, biology and ecology. Conversely, trying to
enthuse the public to love biodiversity may not work for everyone either, hence both
explaining and enthusing the public of natures value could be a more pragmatic solution.
Therefore, Prof. Ghazoul presents a sound argument why forests and its biodiversity should
be conserved and valued for what it is.

Deforestation has also aggravated the spread of avian diseases (which are diseases
affecting birds). A study titled Deforestation and Avian Infectious Disease by Ravinder

Sehgal argues this theory very well. Mr. Sehgal is an Associate Professor at the University of
San Francisco. He focuses on avian blood parasites hence; he does seem adept at studying
these diseases. Starting by describing how deforestation is causing a significant reduction in
habitats available, the birds are then displaced and redistributed until they eventually interact
with species they do not normally encounter, including parasites. These parasites, such as
mosquitoes transmit deadly pathogens (which are germs that can cause diseases) to the birds.
It isn't just birds that are affected by such diseases. For example, the West Nile Virus (WNV)
has not only caused a significant decrease in the population of birds in North America, but
has also caused fatalities among humans, though mortality rates of this disease was not
mentioned. Another similar disease is Japanese encephalitis which is caused by a virus that
affects herons, egrets and humans. This disease killed more than 10,000 people in Asia.
However, the study didn't state the time frame of these deaths which is vital for readers to
assess the seriousness of this disease today. Other diseases mentioned were avian malaria and
haemosporodian parasites which, like the aforementioned diseases, tend to spread in tandem
with bird migratory patterns from continent to continent. Therefore, it is quite clear that the
study reveals the possibility of future global pandemics spreading this way, similar to the
avian flu pandemic in the early 2000s. The conclusion reached was constructive, where the
author urges future research to utilise satellite tracking technology to study bird migratory
patterns and hence, patterns which avian diseases spread. Overall, the study is convincing as
it includes numerous examples of dangerous avian diseases that affect humans, yet it could
have included clearer statistics of human fatalities.
Although these arguments strongly support banning deforestation, dissenters also have
equally valid reasons to allow deforestation. Deforestation is necessary to sustain the
international timber industry. Developing countries tend to rely more on their timber exports
for economic growth compared to developed nations because the former are normally
industry-based economies and the latter generally are service-oriented economies. This can
be seen in Cameroon, based on a study published in 2009 by Richard Eba'a Atyi', a Senior
Researcher at Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR). His affiliation with this
multi-national body dedicated to research should grant him the necessary insight into forestry,
making his study reliable. According to this study, logging that took place "exclusively in
natural rainforests" constituted 7% of the country's total Gross Domestic Product (GDP: the
total produce of a country) and 20% of the country's total exports. Furthermore, logging had
been going on prosperously for over 50 years in Cameroon and is increasing every year.
Cameroon's logging industry also provides employment for 34 000 Cameroonians, though
this figure is estimated to be higher by Atyis other studies. However, this study has some
weaknesses. For instance, there is doubt over the accuracy of some of the information used.
Some figures, such as the volume of timber produced annually, were estimations whereas
some of the data was obtained from other African countries. Nevertheless, the study has
shown that developing countries such as Cameroon depend significantly on timber. But
Cameroon is by far is not the world's largest producer of lumber. In fact, 4 of the top 5
producers of lumber in 2013 are developed countries, the first being Canada according to the
Worlds Top Exports website, a rather neutral source of statistics. A study by Statistics
Canada reveals the trends of Canada's lumber industry from 2004 to 2010. Statistics Canada

is released by the Canadian government hence, I believe that the government has sufficient
resources to conduct comprehensive research prior to releasing these statistics. The study
concluded that there has been a slump in the output of Canada's lumber industry. For
example, the lumber industry contributed to 2.9% of Canada's manufacturing sales in 2004,
but only 1.3% in 2010. Despite this, more than 200 remote communities in Canada still rely
heavily on this industry. More than 50% of these communities total income is sourced from
logging. In terms of employment, the lumber and forestry industry provided jobs for more
than 50,000 people in 2004 but has decreased to almost half its original number (26,000) in
2010. Therefore, it can be seen that logging plays a significant role in the economies of
developing and developed nations alike, with Cameroon increasing lumber exports and
Canada starting to depend less on their lumber.
Besides that, deforestation also provides much needed space to produce biofuels. With the
global concern that traditional fuels would eventually run out, biofuels are seen as prime
substitutes for diesel and petroleum. Biofuels such as ethanol are made from crop sugar that
is fermented, similar to how wines are made from grapes. So unlike fossil fuels, biofuels are
renewable as the crops used can be replanted again and again. Further studies, namely from
the National Academy of Sciences of USA provides evidence supporting the advantages of
biofuels over fossil fuels. In this study, ethanol (from corn grains) and soybean biodiesel were
compared to the conventional 'gasoline' and diesel respectively. The study refutes sceptics
that claim more energy is needed to produce biofuels than what is released. Ethanol produces
25% more energy output than input, and biodiesel releases a prodigious 93% more energy
according to Net Energy Balance (NEB) calculations. In terms of pricing, both biofuels were
slightly more expensive than their fossil fuel counterparts. However, if one accounts for the
constant fluctuations of oil prices, biofuels could still be a better option due its stable price
that has been decreasing since the 1970's. Furthermore, biofuels have been observed to
release significantly less greenhouse gases (GHGs) than fossil fuels. When producing the
same quantity of energy, ethanol liberates only 88% of the GHGs released by gasoline. Again,
biodiesel fares better than ethanol, releasing only 59% of the GHGs released by diesel. And
with the 1 billion vehicles on the road expected to reach 2.5 billion by 2050, one can only
imagine the reduction in GHGs if biofuels are adopted globally. Therefore, biofuels would be
a better alternative to fossil fuels because of its lower cost and smaller environmental impact.
Currently, ethanol is used in vehicles across Brazil and parts of Scandinavia. So how are
biofuels related to deforestation? Well, as the demand for biofuels increase, so must the
supply. And like most crops, corn and soybean plantations require large areas to be converted
into agricultural land at the expense of forests. This is particularly true in Brazil. Brazil has
been accused by Mongabay, an environmental news website of causing a decrease of 758,092
square kilometres (or 15% in size) of the Amazon rainforest since 1970. But this commercial
organisation may have vested interest in propagating anti-deforestation agendas for more
global media coverage and funding. In fact, a more neutral study by CIFOR mentions the
difficulty in obtaining accurate statistics such as the one aforementioned. The study used
satellite images taken over several years to reveal the gradual shrinking of the Amazon.
Though the images are evidently low in resolution, it clearly shows just how many areas have
been affected by deforestation. Moreover, under Brazil's economic development programs

such as Avanca Brasil, the country plans to increase the area of biofuel plantations from 13
500 to 1.3 million hectares between 2006 to 2015 in the Minas Gerais province, requiring
much more land than before. Therefore, it is understandable why countries like Brazil see
deforestation as necessary to supply renewable biofuel.
Prior to beginning my research, I viewed deforestation quite negatively. Deforestation felt
morally wrong as the damage to the ecosystem and its inhabitants were unjustifiable to me. I
also believed international intervention was needed to curb deforestation by authorising
sanctions against the companies and countries responsible. But after thorough consideration
for perspectives justifying deforestation, I now realise that my views have changed
significantly, yet my stance remains the same. While I still cannot condone deforestation, I
now have a much better understanding of the issue which is why deforestation happens in the
first place. All nations have the right to progress economically and pursue its desire to
modernise, just as certain developed nations once did during the Industrial Revolution which
also had a significant environmental impact. And while forests are occasionally the
unfortunate victims of this pursuit, these modernising countries will eventually compensate
for their impact on Mother Nature by advocating green initiatives like most developed
nations are today. Hence, forest sympathisers like me must learn to compromise to a certain
extent in allowing nations the right to self-determination and progress. Looking back at both
sides of the divide, I will now try to reach a supported conclusion. To recap, deforestation
should not be allowed because forests have inherent value in its biodiversity, as said by Prof.
Ghazoul, and deforestation correlates with the proliferation of avian diseases capable of
infecting humans. Whereas supporters of deforestation demonstrate that logging plays a vital
role on the economy of both developed and developing nations and argue that deforestation is
necessary to develop revolutionary biofuels. Therefore, if it is indeed absolutely necessary to
clear forests for plantations or lumber, than in this case, I say that deforestation should be
allowed but only at minimum level. There should be a clearly established maximum
deforestation level, or 'red line' that a country must adhere to. This red line should be
discussed and agreed upon by both the local government and reputable ecology experts,
balancing between the country's responsibility towards the well-being of forest ecosystems
and need to carry out development projects. Furthermore, the consequences of deforestation
such as the outbreak of diseases should be closely monitored and mediated by governments to
ensure that local communities are not adversely affected by forest development. If, for some
reason, an area is unsuitable for plantation yet is fertile and unoccupied, it should be
converted into forests via reforestation projects to compensate for Mother Natures loss.
Ultimately, all nations should eventually strive to achieve a net zero-deforestation rate.

Thank you

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