kinnersley@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu (Bill Kinnersley) (06/02/91)
In article <1991Jun1.213133.2781@colorado.edu>, william@alumni.colorado.edu (William Hughes) writes: : : Dear Citizens of the World, : : : We are a concerned group of people who would like to : address the problem of rain forest destruction. : [...] : : Do you realize that 50 acres of rain forest are being : destroyed every minute? That's 26,280,000 acres each year. At : [...] : : However, there are solutions: programs that let you but : acreage of rain forest - and nobody can legally use that land : for any purpose, except you. One such program is available : through the Rain Forest Foundation. You can purchase l acre for : $100, or one-half acre for $58. You will receive a signed : Certificate of Acknowledgement, and a map pinpointing your acre : of rain forest, plus a Rain Forest Foundation T-shirt. For : : Concerned students at : : Centennial Junior High : : Boulder, Colorado 80304 The students at Centennial Junior High would be well advised to shop around. School children here in Lawrence, KS just saved 2 1/2 acres of rain forest, and it only cost them $82.50. -- --Bill Kinnersley
william@alumni.colorado.edu (William Hughes) (06/02/91)
The following letter was written by a group of students at Centennial Jr. High School in Boulder, Colorado as part of a class project in Biology. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Citizens of the World, We are a concerned group of people who would like to address the problem of rain forest destruction. Do you realize that 50 acres of rain forest are being destroyed every minute? That's 26,280,000 acres each year. At this rate, scientists calculate that by the year 2000, there will be little or no rain forests left in the world. This is a major problem. because the rain forests contain more than 50% of the world's animal species. Did you know that the rain forest loses one species per day? In Brazil and Costa Rica alone, it is estimated that in the next quarter century, 1.2 million plant and animal species are at risk of being forever wiped form the face of the planet. Many of these species may be the answer to diseases such as AIDS and cancer. Furthermore, the rain forest provides clean air to help clean up our already polluted atmosphere. This is also a major problem, because the rain forest helps control the world's climate. The rain forest is being destroyed for cattle ranching, commercial logging, and tobacco production. Iron and ore mining is also a problem, because this industry is chopping down rain forests to be replaced by mines. This problem is being caused by multilateral development banks (MDB's) who loan 22 billion dollars to third world development every year. Other companies which exacerbate the situation are private bank such as Citicorp, Wells Fargo, and the Bank of America who loan over 3 times what the MDB's loan. Coca-cola is also part of the problem. There are other reasons that cutting rain forest isn't the best solution to space or logging problems: deforested land needs large inputs of water, pesticides, and fertilizers. Besides the land turns to desert after 1 - 10 years. Also, there are many large-scale projects that use large areas of land, but employ few people. However, there are solutions: programs that let you but acreage of rain forest - and nobody can legally use that land for any purpose, except you. One such program is available through the Rain Forest Foundation. You can purchase l acre for $100, or one-half acre for $58. You will receive a signed Certificate of Acknowledgement, and a map pinpointing your acre of rain forest, plus a Rain Forest Foundation T-shirt. For details, call toll free 1-800-542-1800 or write The Rain Forest Foundation, P.O. Box 757, Plainville, Connecticut 06062. We hope that you are more informed about the rain forest situation, and thanks for taking the time to read this document! Concerned students at Centennial Junior High Boulder, Colorado 80304
mpd@anomaly.sbs.com (Michael P. Deignan) (06/04/91)
william@alumni.colorado.edu (William Hughes) writes: > Do you realize that 50 acres of rain forest are being >destroyed every minute? That's 26,280,000 acres each year. At >this rate, scientists calculate that by the year 2000, there >will be little or no rain forests left in the world. This is a >major problem. So? >because the rain forests contain more than 50% of >the world's animal species. Did you know that the rain forest >loses one species per day? Ever hear of Darwin? >Many of these species may be the answer to >diseases such as AIDS and cancer. So might the dinosaurs. Coorelation study references, please? >Furthermore, the rain forest >provides clean air to help clean up our already polluted >atmosphere. This is also a major problem, because the rain >forest helps control the world's climate. No, the rain forest provides only a portion of this control. The earth's oceans provide far more. So, if you're really interested in saving the earth, work to stop ocean dumping instead. ... > This problem is being caused by multilateral development >banks (MDB's) who loan 22 billion dollars to third world >development every year. Other companies which exacerbate the >situation are private bank such as Citicorp, Wells Fargo, and >the Bank of America who loan over 3 times what the MDB's loan. >Coca-cola is also part of the problem. Oh, yes, let's not forget to throw in that "evil, huge, uncaring multinational corporation" claim too... >Besides the land turns to desert after 1 - 10 years.i Yeah, the deserts in the northeast are one prime example of how all this buildup really hurts the earth. >Also, there >are many large-scale projects that use large areas of land, but >employ few people. So, I guess we should just disallow farming, huh? > However, there are solutions: programs that let you but >acreage of rain forest - and nobody can legally use that land >for any purpose, except you. One such program is available >through the Rain Forest Foundation. You can purchase l acre for >$100, or one-half acre for $58. You will receive a signed >Certificate of Acknowledgement, and a map pinpointing your acre >of rain forest, plus a Rain Forest Foundation T-shirt. For >details, call toll free 1-800-542-1800 or write The Rain Forest >Foundation, P.O. Box 757, Plainville, Connecticut 06062. Are these certificates recognized deeds by the respective governments of the countries in question? Or, should I be saying: Money grab alert! Money grab alert! MD -- -- Michael P. Deignan / -- Domain: mpd@anomaly.sbs.com / This space intentionally -- UUCP: ...!uunet!rayssd!anomaly!mpd / left blank... -- Telebit: +1 401 455 0347 /
al@gtx.com (Alan Filipski) (06/07/91)
In article <1991Jun03.221120.28743@anomaly.sbs.com> mpd@anomaly.sbs.com (Michael P. Deignan) writes: -william@alumni.colorado.edu (William Hughes) writes: --because the rain forests contain more than 50% of --the world's animal species. Did you know that the rain forest --loses one species per day? -Ever hear of Darwin? What's the point? That all evolution is in our best interest? That we should destroy species simply because species have become extinct in the past? Absurd. --Furthermore, the rain forest --provides clean air to help clean up our already polluted --atmosphere. This is also a major problem, because the rain --forest helps control the world's climate. -No, the rain forest provides only a portion of this control. The earth's -oceans provide far more. So, if you're really interested in saving the -earth, work to stop ocean dumping instead. The effect of the oceans on climate has to do with thermal mass and circulation. What does dumping have to do with that? -- This problem is being caused by multilateral development --banks (MDB's) who loan 22 billion dollars to third world --development every year. Other companies which exacerbate the --situation are private bank such as Citicorp, Wells Fargo, and --the Bank of America who loan over 3 times what the MDB's loan. --Coca-cola is also part of the problem. -Oh, yes, let's not forget to throw in that "evil, huge, uncaring multinational -corporation" claim too... Only if it's true. --Besides the land turns to desert after 1 - 10 years.i -Yeah, the deserts in the northeast are one prime example of how all this -buildup really hurts the earth. Northeast of what? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ( Alan Filipski, GTX Corp, 8836 N. 23rd Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 85021, USA ) ( {decvax,hplabs,uunet!amdahl,nsc}!sun!sunburn!gtx!al (602)870-1696 ) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
mll@hpfcso.FC.HP.COM (Mark Luce) (06/08/91)
/ hpfcso:sci.bio / mpd@anomaly.sbs.com (Michael P. Deignan) / 4:11 pm Jun 3, 1991 / william@alumni.colorado.edu (William Hughes) writes: > Do you realize that 50 acres of rain forest are being >destroyed every minute? That's 26,280,000 acres each year. At >this rate, scientists calculate that by the year 2000, there >will be little or no rain forests left in the world. This is a >major problem. >>And Michael P. Deignan responds: So? >> An incredibly flippant response. The world is facing the largest mass >> extinction since the Cretaceous/Tertiary transition, and all Mr. Deignan >> can offer is "So?" Then William Hughes writes: >because the rain forests contain more than 50% of >the world's animal species. Did you know that the rain forest >loses one species per day? >> And again Mr. Deignan responds: Ever hear of Darwin? >> Yes, Mr. Deignan, most of us have heard of Darwin. Have you ever *read* >> him?? It is of course quite natural for a certain background level of >> extinctions to be taking place. What worries people is that the present >> rate of extinctions is *orders of magnitude* greater than any background >> rate that might be expected. And why is that? There can hardly be any >> doubt that the elevated rate of extinctions is due to human activities, >> and particularly to the destruction of the tropical rainforests. You, >> sir, seem to believe that since the trees of the tropical rainforests >> cannot defend themselves against chainsaws, they 'deserve' extinction. >> Perhaps you think that humans are demonstrating their 'evolutionary >> superiority' by destroying all these other species. Perhaps you think >> that we should have kept shooting until the last buffalo was dead. >> Perhaps you are just an ignoramus. >Many of these species may be the answer to >diseases such as AIDS and cancer. So might the dinosaurs. Coorelation study references, please? >> "So might the dinosaurs."?! What's your point, Mr. Deignan? The dino- >> saurs are extinct (except for the birds). The blame for that, at least, >> cannot be placed on humans. The blame for the current wave of extinctions >> can be. Can you spot the difference? >Furthermore, the rain forest >provides clean air to help clean up our already polluted >atmosphere. This is also a major problem, because the rain >forest helps control the world's climate. No, the rain forest provides only a portion of this control. The earth's oceans provide far more. So, if you're really interested in saving the earth, work to stop ocean dumping instead. >> What does ocean dumping have to do with control of the world's climate? >> While I certainly do not condone ocean dumping, it is a trivial problem >> compared to tropical deforestation, extinction of species, and the >> greenhouse effect... > This problem is being caused by multilateral development >banks (MDB's) who loan 22 billion dollars to third world >development every year. Other companies which exacerbate the >situation are private bank such as Citicorp, Wells Fargo, and >the Bank of America who loan over 3 times what the MDB's loan. >Coca-cola is also part of the problem. Oh, yes, let's not forget to throw in that "evil, huge, uncaring multinational corporation" claim too... >Besides the land turns to desert after 1 - 10 years.i Yeah, the deserts in the northeast are one prime example of how all this buildup really hurts the earth. >> Don't know much about tropical rainforest soils, do you, Mr. Deignan? >> Why anyone would think that the consequences of deforestation in the >> Northeast (I'm presuming you're talking about the U.S. Northeast) are >> a good analogy for the consequences of deforestation in the Amazon >> Basin, is utterly beyond me... >Also, there >are many large-scale projects that use large areas of land, but >employ few people. So, I guess we should just disallow farming, huh? > However, there are solutions: programs that let you but >acreage of rain forest - and nobody can legally use that land >for any purpose, except you. One such program is available >through the Rain Forest Foundation. You can purchase l acre for >$100, or one-half acre for $58. You will receive a signed >Certificate of Acknowledgement, and a map pinpointing your acre >of rain forest, plus a Rain Forest Foundation T-shirt. For >details, call toll free 1-800-542-1800 or write The Rain Forest >Foundation, P.O. Box 757, Plainville, Connecticut 06062. Are these certificates recognized deeds by the respective governments of the countries in question? >> Your only good question in your entire post... Or, should I be saying: Money grab alert! Money grab alert! MD -- -- Michael P. Deignan / -- Domain: mpd@anomaly.sbs.com / This space intentionally -- UUCP: ...!uunet!rayssd!anomaly!mpd / left blank... -- Telebit: +1 401 455 0347 / ----------