Monday, January 20, 2014

Operation: Save the Rainforest.

The Rainforest is possibly the most intriguing amazing place on planet earth.

Granted, I have never actually visited one.  But can you imagine a world where there are no stories that involve the deep enthralling trenches of the trees, rain and multitudes of animals and unmet tribes?

The rainforest serves so many purposes on planet earth, apart from our cultural fascination with it.

One of which, which perhaps is most essential during this time is that the rainforest acts as an air conditioning unit for planet earth.

Unfortunately we have lost about 65% of the rainforest, as of the present day.  Mostly due to the beef industry, along with banana, palm oil, coffee, rubber, cocoa and wood harvesting/farming.

The rate at which we losing plant life and animal life never to be seen again.. is so depressing that I almost don't really want to post any more details.  But a must read book is, "Seeds of Change: the Living Treasure" by Kenny Ausubel

Seeds create our whole existence on earth possible.  They grow into wondrous plants that create the oxygen we breathe, they provide food, shelter and clothing for us.  And it is the very seed that could be the downward spiral of our current civilization.

Scientists have always had good intentions. They have always worked really hard to solve our worldly issues and problems, however, no matter how smart we think we become, mother nature will always be... well mother nature.

And if we mess with the genetic systems of earth too much, of course the earth will be fine-- she'll evolve in a different direction--but humans on the other hand, that's a whole different story.  Whether or not we will survive through this period of massive scientific knowledge and gene engineering.  No one can really be sure of.

The problem we face today is that most of our seeds come from 5 corporations.  Who have patented varieties of these organisms.  The seeds that are sold to farmers are hybrids--because hybrids have been designed to produce the 'biggest' crop and of course hybrids cannot be saved (that is taken from the plant to be replanted for the next year), so the farmer is dependent on the company to go back for more every year.

Furthermore, the companies have focused their efforts on a very small variety of seed.  Native americans were known to eat thousands of varieties of plants.  Today, in the grocery store, we may have short of a few hundred varieties.  With much less that we consume on a regular basis.

Without much genetic diversity in seed breeding programs, our hybrid seeds will continually lose vigor.

Without biodiversity rich forests and ecosystems to rely on for new flavors, stronger varieties, new medicines or more nutritionally rich new plants.  We will slowly fade just as the forest has.

The good news is, there are a few backyard farmers, who are saving their own seeds.  They have not given up on genetic diversity and they are developing trade with other backyard farmers and attempting to save some of our heritage that isn't being supported by many of these multibillion dollar companies.

So what else can we do for the Rainforest???

1.  Donate as much money as you can possibly afford to organizations who
         a.  Buy land so it can remain a rainforest.
         b. Organizations who help farmers become more sufficient in their land use, and teach locals how                to allow the forest to regenerate and use the forest sustainably as an income generator and as                  food
         c. Organizations who protect indigenous people who live there and or plants and animals
         d.  Organizations who are saving rainforest seeds
2. Try to avoid products from the beef industry, along with banana, palm oil, coffee, rubber, cocoa and      wood.
     a.  If this proves too difficult, find organic varieties sourced from fair trade.  For rubber and wood               products, see if you can find other products from second hand stores or perhaps use materials                 such as bamboo
3. Reduce your own carbon emissions as much as possible
     a. Eat as much plant based foods as possible and preferably from your own garden :)
     b. Eat organic
     c.  Eat local
     d.  Carpool, take a bus, walk, ride a bike.
4. Don't support the exotic pet trade.
5. Support wild habitat wherever it is found.  Get involved with your community, say no to new housing projects, say no to new development, say no to new oil rigs, say YES to establishing permanent protection on the few wild places we still have left.  Or even if it comprises of a few trees.  We have lived in imbalance with nature for too long, for too long we supported everything as long as it would produce 'money'. But money is a completely made up notion on completely arbitrary principles.  Actually the richest people in the world are the indigenous people who live in the forest.  That is, as long as we allow them to be there and we don't take their land away from them.
5. Tell your friends.
6. Tell your family
7. Tell strangers

It's completely possible, we just have to decide that it is worth it.  

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