The statistics fly around on deforestation like curses at a barroom brawl. Typically, like the curses, the numbers are half-right, half-wrong, but rooted in truth. Rain forests comprise only 2 percent of the planet's surface, yet they contain half the world's species. Half of the world's rain forests have disappeared since World War II, which is understandable when you consider the value of the timber and the need for emerging countries to develop their wilderness into towns, factories and grazing land.
Many conservation groups paint a Disneyesque picture of sunny glades populated with singing birds, bright flowers, romping animals and happy native peoples. The reality is much darker. Triple-canopy tropical forests have one of the lowest biomasses of mammals and birds. They are typically dark, dank, still and oppressively hot-ideal incubators for plant life. The native people live in isolation, sometimes culling each other in violent tribal conflicts, a natural thinning process that is also accelerated by disease and early death. When cleared, the land is barren and provides at most two years of scanty crops. Forest dwellers are forced to use swidden, or slash-and-burn cultivation, a method whereby trees are cleared, the ground burned, crops are planted for one or two years, and then the area is left to regenerate for up to 10 years before any nutrients are put back in the soil.
The term "rain forest" pertains to a variety of environments. There is no single way to saving the montane moss forests and the mangrove swamps, since they are in jeopardy from a variety of sources. The major enemies of the Asian forests are logging companies that pull out first-generation hardwood using crude and inefficient methods. Because of the low cost of this wood, tropical hardwoods are turned into everything from concrete construction forms to coffee table veneers. Decline is also accelerated by repopulation programs that clear large areas for cultivation and grazing. The country itself has the most to lose, but there are few options. Many countries, like Malaysia, point to our denuded forests and first World prosperity, then ask us why we think we have the right to tell them not to develop the same resources to achieve the same success.
The West's view of the rain forests seems to be as a potential location for tourism (if they ever get there) and as the lungs of the world. The East's view of the rain forests are that they provide short-term jobs and income. They still view the forests as the wilderness and as a symbol that they are not fully developed like the West. Both sides seem to agree that the rain forests are a resource, but the two hemispheres don't see eye to eye on how they should be used. We say to cut at sustainable yields, and they say they need the money now. The hitch is that the valuable timber in those triple-canopy forests is well over a hundred years old; unlike our fast-growing softwoods, they will not be back in our lifetime. There are answers and there are groups that are coming up with solutions and programs. The major thrust seems to be toward finding higher returns on the same resources. For example, over 70 percent of plant species that may help in the fight against cancer come from the rain forest, yet only one percent of the species has been tested for this property. Many foods, such as rice, potatoes, chocolate, tomatoes, oranges and cinnamon, have come from the tropical forests.
Although experts on both sides duke it out over how much rain forest is lost every minute, there is no denying that a lot more forest is being cut down than is being planted. Does it matter? Of course. Can you stop it? Of course not. Can you slow it down? Absolutely.
If you want to save the rain forest, or any forest for that matter, there are groups that make a difference. Joining any one of the following groups supports their activities as well as introduces you to other like-minded people. The variety of programs is bewildering, but then the answers required for solid preservation and management are even more complex.
Start by asking for information and attending some meetings. You can communicate with many of these people via computer. Many groups have needs for active volunteers as well as members. If you are looking for more active pursuits, as was the case of Bruno Manser, a Swiss national who helped the Punan organize against the timber companies in Sarawak, they can introduce you to sponsors, legal funds, mentors, and so forth.
You may just be happy to receive the ever-present newsletter and know that your money is supporting a good cause.
The top projects worth looking into are the Bakun dam in Borneo, which will remove 27 cubic meters of forest and flood 200,000 acres of what was triple canopy rainforest. The Hidrova project will threaten the Pantanal in Brazil. In China, the Three Gorges project will destroy thousands of miles of land and displace over a million Chinese.
Post Office Box 2000
Washington, D.C. 20013
(800) 873-5323
OK, so everyone wants to save the rain forests, but when was the last time you visited Washington, Alaska or Hawaii? It seems we like to cut our rain forests as fast as our Third World cousins do. The American Forestry Association is about cutting down trees and about growing trees, but mostly about the need to grow trees. I worked on both sides of the fence, both for the Forest Service (basically counting trees) and as a logger (cutting them down). I, like most people, prefer walking through virgin forests to cutting them down. I just don't know whose forests we are going to cut down if we don't rebuild and manage ours.
Both sides of the fray (loggers and environmentalists) agree that we need to preserve trees. They just don't agree about how. Loggers say grow 'em as fast as you cut 'em down, and conservationists say don't cut 'em. Loggers like to ask who is going to supply the timber to build the house you return to after your hike in the woods. The fact is we still consume them a lot faster that we replace them. Joining American Forests puts your money toward replanting trees. Whether you shell out $30 to plant 10 trees or $1000 to plant an entire acre of trees (500), your money gets right to the heart of the matter. The 120-year-old organization is the creator of the Global ReLeaf program and works to make the country and the city a more livable place by planting more trees. It should be known that this group views trees as a renewable resource and not as sacred plants, so the more strident preservationists may want to spend their money with the Sierra Club or other "preservation-only" groups. For now, as long as we continue to use wood as a resource, management is the first step to better logging practices. The group also offers trips to forested places like New Zealand and even has a magazine on urban forests.
(202) 667-3300
To donate $5.00 for Global ReLeaf, (900) 420-4545
To plant trees, contact their Global ReLeaf Campaign.
(202) 331-3770
Become a BWS video advocate and obtain Profits from Poison, a documentary about the dangerous misuse of pesticides in developing countries.
1015 18th Street, N.W.
Suite 1000
Washington, D.C. 20036
(202) 429-5660, FAX: (202) 887-5188
CI tries to integrate people into its conservation efforts. Their major focus is the rain forest in 24 countries in Latin America, Africa and Asia. They strive to integrate economics, community development and scientific solutions. Being down to earth, they tell you exactly what your donation can provide. Whether it is a $100 donation that buys a grinding wheel for making handicrafts from sustainable rain-forest products in Ecuador, or $1000 that provides one thousand tree seedlings and planting equipment in Costa Rica, they do a good job of putting your money to work. Their idea of being able to create economic benefit seems a refreshing alternative to the eco-Nazis who demand natural preservation at the cost of local development.
300 Broadway, Suite 28
San Francisco, California 94133
(415) 788-3666, FAX: (415) 788-7324
EII is somewhat of an incubator for conservation, preservation and restoration projects. In 1982 David Brower, the founder of Friends of the Earth and first executive director of the Sierra Club, set up an institute to support creative solutions to the world's problems. Projects that have sprung from the institute include films, conferences and a variety of organizations. The Rain Forest Action Network, International Rivers Network and the International Marine Mammal Project all went on to become self-sustaining separate organizations. Earth Island Institute supports numerous projects around the world, from protecting mangrove forests to educating Australian aborigines about uranium waste disposal. Annual membership is $25 and gets you a subscription to the quarterly Earth Island Journal.
1436 U. Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20009
(202) 462-1177
Their Toxics Campaign seeks to solve the toxic pollution problem through waste prevention. Greenpeace takes direct action against the polluters, fighting to cut off toxic substances at their source. Ask for a copy of Toxics: Stepping Lightly on the Earth, Everyone's Guide to Toxics in the Home (free).
700 Broadway
New York, New York 1003-9501
(212) 979-3000
Ask for a copy of "The Audubon Activist Carbon Dioxide Diet," a worksheet that explains how to reduce your household's production of carbon dioxide, CFCs and trash ($2.00).
450 Sansome Street
Suite 700
San Francisco, California 94111
(415)398-4404, FAX: (415) 398-2732
RAN is a feisty little group (13 full-time employees) formed in 1985 that yaps around the heels of big business. Their Darth Vader of the rain forest is Mitsubishi, "the worst corporate destroyer of rain forests in the world." They have also targeted oil companies like Texaco and Unocal and anybody who destroys rain forests or endangers indigenous peoples. They use public pressure, direct action and the coordinated actions of hundreds of like-minded groups around the world to force change and conservation.
They claim to have forced Burger King to stop importing beef from Central America-beef raised on land formerly occupied by rain forests. Their boycott caused a 12 percent drop in income and BK now no longer makes Whoppers out of Third World cows.
Their biggest weapon is a group of 150 independent Rain Forest Action Groups (RAG), which raise funds, educate their community and conduct campaigns to save the rain forest. RAN is proud of the fact that at least 82 percent of donations go directly toward rain-forest preservation. Their most effective program is the Protect-an-Acre program. RAN uses funds to help forest peoples secure communal land titles and helps them develop livelihoods and long-term protection programs. To date, they have secured more than 2.5 million acres of land title.
They offer a variety of publications including the monthly Action Alert and the quarterly World Rainforest Report, and produce numerous fact sheets and brochures targeting specific rain-forest issues. There are directories of over 250 groups that are working to save the rain forest in the Amazon and 250 groups in Southeast Asia.
If you would like to get involved, you can start your own RAG, join one, support the group with funds or work as an unpaid intern in their San Francisco headquarters. You must put in 12 hours a week for three months.
739 Polk Street
San Francisco, California 94109
(415) 776-2211, (202) 547-1141 (D.C.)
The granddaddy of ecoclubs, with 102 years under its belt and 600,000 members. The Sierra Club was founded in 1892 by John Muir with the idea that the natural areas of America needed to be saved from the industrialists who were ravaging the West.
Backed up by a staff of 350 paid volunteers, 20 regional field offices, 32 chapter offices and a rapidly growing membership roster, the Sierra Club is by far the most effective voice for conservation in America. They track the environmental profiles and voting history on environmental issues of members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. They support their activities by publishing an impressive array of books, calendars, licensed products and Sierra magazine. They also lead about 300 trips every year and fight a number of legal battles from their six Legal Defense Fund Offices in San Francisco, Denver, Juneau, Honolulu and Washington, D.C.
You don't have to be a reformed lumberjack to help out. You can join as a member, or you can apply for a paid (or unpaid) job in their head office in San Francisco or in one of the regional offices. The Sierra Club is looking for low-paid, hardworking staff to work on books and their magazine. They need human resources, financial, data-entry, management, public affairs, travel, conservation and campaign workers. Their Washington office needs lobbyists, support people, media reps and issues specialists. If you are hoping to be paid to hike around the parks and take those amazing photographs in Sierra magazine or their books, sorry, its all on spec or freelance. They welcome submissions though, so keep trying if you get turned down the first time. The Sierra Club can give you a reduced fee on one of their outings in exchange for some trail clearing and maintenance work. Twenty lucky interns can work for nothing throughout the organization with the hopes of getting a full-time job later. If you do get a job, expect full dental, medical and life insurance programs, a pension plan and generous vacation accrual (that means you will work plenty of OT) and discounts on calendars, outings, etc. If you are interested, contact the Human Resources Department at (415) 923-5581.
1776 Massachusetts Avenue NW
Washington, D.C. 20036
202-452-1999
A global environmental research organization. Ask for publications such as Clearing the Air: A Global Agenda, Air Pollution, Acid Rain, and The Future of Forests, and The Bicycle: Vehicle for a Small Planet.
Animal rights activists are not always bulimic models and washed-up celebrities. There are plenty of square-jawed park rangers who hunt down and kill poachers on a nightly basis. I spent three days badgering the Tanzanian game wardens in Selous park to take us man hunting with them at night. I found out why they didn't want me along; it seems they left their remote little hut, drove about half a mile away and slept. Oh, well. In any case, you can make a difference, whether you are on the ground or in your living room. Your meager contribution is a spit in the ocean and is guaranteed not to save an animal species from extinction, but a lot of people chipping in a few bucks and a few hours will go a long way to doing something concrete.
If you just can't stand by and watch another elephant get chain-sawed for his tusks, then there are active outlets for you. One of the best ways to visit dangerous places is to do good. The image of the great white hunter as adventurer has been replaced by the great white conservationist as adventurer. If you have dreams of getting sunburnt, dusty and wrinkled while bouncing around Africa in an old Land Rover 88, your best bet is to look into the many conservation groups that need volunteers and support. Those who preferred Indiana Jones to Born Free can also check into the many archaeological digs that need helping hands. If you just want to read about and keep one more white rhino on the planet, then by all means tuck in your love gift and get warm fuzzies (and usually a colorful newsletter).
c/o Dr. David Weston
Wildlife Conservation Intl.
P.O. Box 62844
Nairobi, Kenya
[254] 2245-6922-1699, FAX: [254] 2159-6922-1699
This group works with other wildlife protection groups to help protect elephants and ensure that they do not fall victim to poachers.
1717 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20036
(202) 265-8393
Founded in 1961 with the belief that only Africans can save African wildlife, the AWF operates two colleges of wildlife management. Their colleges have trained hundreds of game wardens and rangers for parks all over Africa. AWF is unique in that it works with Africans within Africa to manage African wildlife. They also educate children on conservation, help local communities benefit from wildlife preservation and show them ways to make more efficient use of land.
The AWF developed programs and trained staff in Rwanda's Parc des Volcans to protect the remaining 650 mountain gorillas. They have continued their support of the rangers throughout the recent bloodshed and report that no gorillas were harmed. They also run the longest continuous study of elephants in Africa in Kenya. They have been tracking the 790 elephants in Amboseli National Park to understand elephant behavior and social patterns. There are a field office in Nairobi and a fund-raising center in Washington. Supporters receive a thrice yearly newsletter Wildlife News, and contributions are tax-deductible.
c/o UNEP
DC2-0803 United Nations
New York, NY 10017
(212) 963-8093
The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) was created in 1972 as a result of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment. Its original purpose was to raise environmental awareness and promote action at all levels of society worldwide. UNEP monitors and assesses the state of the world environment, develops policies, and provides a forum for global environmental concerns. UNEP is the guardian of international environmental law. At the 1992 U.N. Earth Summit in Brazil, UNEP's role was reconfirmed and strengthened by its ambitious Agenda 21 plan. Endorsed by world leaders, this document provides a plan of action for dealing with ongoing problems including the depletion of the ozone layer, biological diversity, hazardous wastes and droughts.
Membership Center
870 Greenbriar Circle
Suite 402
Chesapeake, Virginia
(800) 441-4395, or (804) 523-9335
This worldwide organization, started in 1973, serves to protect the oceans, marine animals and ultimately humans from pollution and abuse. Their noble but somewhat ambitious goal is to "provide a centralized facility for continuing studies of man and his world." They also strive to "protect and improve the quality of life for present and future generations," another goal that I am sure would be difficult to oppose. They freely admit that their job is to "bridge the gap between specialists and the public," meaning doing cool things with a scientist as baby-sitter. Their methodology might be overly dramatic and the late Inspector Clouseau/Captain Cousteau's voiceover horribly mangled and poetic, but many of my generation can't imagine going diving without saying at least once: "Luuk at zee leetle feeshes adrrrift in zeee vaaast ocheoon."
Well anyway, join the club and let me know. In the meantime, if you like diving as I do you have to give Jacques-Yves his due for being the coinventor of the aqualung and making diving such a popular sport.
If you join up, you'll get a free bimonthly mag called The Calypso Log and the Dolphin Log for kids. The money goes toward supporting the activities of the Cousteau Society and publicizing their ongoing activities, which consist primarily of creating films on various regions of the world and acting as PR agents for whales and other wet things. The Society is currently on his rediscovery of the world, which means they have pretty much blown through it once before. His shows are bankrolled by Ted Turner and continue to be the best aquatic filmmaking out there. On the downside, it seems to keep discovering places that people have lived in for thousands of years. Simplification and a somewhat lopsided view of the world (ocean) make for great entertainment but sometimes provide only sketchy scientific content. Oh hell! I admit I love bumper stickers that say things like "Nuke the gray whales for Jesus" and "I do eat fish." Can you actually do anything or come along for the ride? No. But you can watch their television specials, buy the books and join the society. Membership is $20 for an individual and $28 for families.
1400 16th Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20036
(202) 797-6800, FAX: (703) 790-4040
The National Wildlife Federation was founded in 1936 as a nationwide network of grass-roots conservationists. Its mission is to educate, inspire and assist individuals and organizations of diverse cultures to conserve wildlife and other natural resources and to protect the Earth's environment in order to achieve a peaceful, equitable and sustainable future. Representatives of 45 state and territorial affiliates meet annually to establish NWF's conservation policy. The National Conservation Office based in Washington, D.C., campaigns in Congress, federal agencies and the courts for these priority issues: endangered species, clean water, wetlands, farm policy, public lands reform, environmental justice and environmental quality. The International Affairs Department works to assure environmental considerations are incorporated into U.S. trade agreements, to assure citizen access to environmental decision-making, and to encourage economic, cultural, human welfare and population initiatives.
1815 North Lynn Street
Arlington, Virginia 22209
(800) 628-6860, (703) 841-5300, FAX: (703) 841-4880
The Nature Conservancy seeks out, develops and works to create conservation areas around the world. Its goals are to assist in the development of local conservation institutions, provide on-the-ground protection assistance, create sustainable conservation financing and generate improved conservation information. The group sets up Conservation Data Centers for developers trying to avoid vulnerable species and for conservationists designing preserves. It is active in the Caribbean and Latin America with programs in Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Brazil. It also is working to build and protect parks in the South Pacific.
Post Office Box 550
Charlestown, New Hampshire 03603
(603) 826-4301, FAX: (603) 826-7755
The SCA offers 12-week positions assisting in the management and protection of U.S. national Parks, forests and other conservation areas. You might be maintaining trails, educating visitors, helping archaeology surveys and telling people to turn their ghetto blasters down in campsites. You will get to work in the great outdoors, have food and housing supplied, as well as have your travel expenses covered in the U.S.
The year-round program is open to those over 18, and it helps if you have academic qualifications. The list of positions available is published every July and December and is available by contacting the recruitment director.
1224 Roberto Lane
Los Angeles, CA 90077
(310) 472-2593, FAX: (310) 476-7527
This nonprofit conservation organization, headed by Dr. Robert Cleaves, provided four anti-poaching aircraft for governments in Zimbabwe and Kwazulu, supplies for game scouts in Zambia and funds for a preschool in Zimbabwe. They are now raising funds for four more aircraft for Southern Africa. If you are interested in getting involved in the real world of conservation and the effort to prevent the extinction of black rhinos, elephants, cheetahs and other species, give them a call.
(212) 220-5155
Their Tropical Forest Campaign supports field researchers and conservation action plans at work in 37 tropical forests around the globe.
1250 24th Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20037
(202) 293-4800
For more than 30 years, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has worked to save endangered wildlife. Their activities include halting global trade in endangered animals and plants, training and equipping anti-poaching teams, undertaking research on wildlife behavior and habitat needs, and mounting international campaigns to save flagship species like tigers, rhinos and giant pandas. WWF has helped to create and preserve hundreds of parks and other protected areas around the world. WWF also works with local leaders, grass-roots groups, governments, and international funding institutions to improve living standards and to integrate conservation into public and private-sector development programs.
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