phoenix@ucbtopaz.CC.Berkeley.ARPA (John H. Johnson) (05/11/85)
In article <395@zinfandel.UUCP> berry@zinfandel.UUCP (Berry Kercheval) writes: >As if it weren't enough that fast food help is polite to people, here's >a tit-bit I found in the Notes and Comment Section of the current issue >of FINE WOODWORKING magazine. (May/June 1985, No. 52, page 106): > > If hauling the Sunday paper off the porch doesn't make you feel guilty > enough about depleting the world's forests, John Seed of the > Rainforest Information Center would have you pause to ponder > before devouring your next Whopper. The RIC, an Australian > environmental group, claims that multinational fast-food chains > are logging off much of the Central American rain forest to raise > beef bound for American hamburgers. > >-- >Berry Kercheval Zehntel Inc. (ihnp4!zehntel!zinfandel!berry) >(415)932-6900 (kerch@lll-tis.ARPA) Actually, this lovely trend was started by our lovely American Hero, McDonalds, in the rain forests of Brazil. That country is losing tree acreage at a preponderous rate. This not only affects the local environment, but in terms of Co2 in the atmosphere, weather patterns, and plant species diversity, has the possibility of becoming a global problem. Biologists correct me if I am wrong, but over *half* of the worlds plant species are located in the Amazon. The real irony is that the soil has virtually no nutrients. In tropical rain forests such as those in Brazil, almost all of the nutrients are locked up in the biomass. Take away the trees, and the land is pretty useless. Farms - and grazing tracks - become dustbowls within a few years..... *BUT*, there is *always* more forest to clear, *RIGHT*!!! (AAARRRGGGHHH!!!) Here's hoping that someone will intercede with some sanity.... 0 0 (Crises?.... What Crises?) ^ \_/ John Phoenix@ucbtopaz ucbvax!ucbtopaz!phoenix