Bhumi Patel
Composition 106
Anne-Marie Yerks
February 22, 2009
Stop the Deforestation!
People stress that we should recycle paper, so we can save more trees; but what about the trees getting cut down for beef? Thousands and thousands of trees are being cut down in the forests in Brazil for more land to raise cattle for beef. Cattle require a lot of land to grow properly to allow manufacturers to create the optimum type of beef. This beef is then sold to large companies like McDonalds in bulk and sold at their restaurants at a low price. People worry that we are wasting too much paper and cutting down too many trees for paper. They do not realize that every time they go to a fast food restaurant to buy a $1.49 double cheeseburger, they are supporting the deforestation in the Amazon Forest.
People may ask, why does Brazil allow deforestation of their Amazon forest? There is a high correlation with the amount of deforestation and the growth of the economy. The government has yet to learn about the severe damage they are causing to not only themselves, but the whole world. According to an article by Butler called Deforestation in the Amazon, the Brazilian Government use their tax money to grow grass from Africa for the cattle to graze on. Sixty to seventy percent of the Amazon Forest is being cut down for land for cattle to grow. Most of the rest is used by farmers that use this land because of its low tax rate. The land is also very fertilized and perfect for growing all sorts of plants that these farmers can export in bulk to other countries. This may be a good cause to those farmers who cannot afford their own land, but it is causing severe damage as previously stated.
For more research on cattle and the environment, I went my local Hindu Temple, in Canton, Michigan, where I recently heard a lecture on the benefits of being a vegetarian. I had a chance to go over details and have conversations with the local priest who taught me in detail the reason behind why we think cows are so sacred. We have learned that we should not only worship the Gods in heaven, but also our work. Most of the Hindu’s rely on cows for their household income. They are important in every family, because of the work cows do and also for the milk they supply. In India, cows are fed richer foods than the people. Whereas in Brazil, the cattle are fed corn and other vegetables to grow quicker, other than the cattle eating only grass and growing at their own pace. Cattle that are fed corn are found to have pesticides in their body and growth hormones. This affects the type of milk the cows can produce, and also the health of the cow. The cattle are then turned into beef that people eat. If they are not at their optimum health, there is a better risk of bacteria and viruses to be in the cow that can potentially spread to the people.
Growing cattle is causing environment damage as well. We have learned that one reason the ozone layer is becoming thin is that cows release methane gas often which damages the ozone layer. Global warming is affecting everyone all around the world. Many people have changed their lifestyles in certain aspects to help prevent global warming. When cutting down the rain forest, we are decreasing the amount of oxygen gas in the air. Since many countries are becoming more industrialized, they are cutting down great amounts of green to build buildings. People rely on the rain forest for oxygen gas, but when we cut the rain forest down, we are causing problems for the future generations to have a sufficient amount of oxygen gas. Having an excess of cattle is harming our environment more than it’s helping us.
Cattle raising is not wrong; everyone will always need milk to survive. When it comes to the need of cutting down large amounts of forests to have enough land, it becomes an issue. These forests are important especially with the high amounts of trees being cut for more commercial land, and for other necessary products. Our environment is in critical condition with the problem of global warming. When some of us are trying to fix and control these conditions, others are making matters worse. We need to realize that our behaviors and choices today affect the decisions of others down the road. Be wise, and help save the rainforest!
Works Cited
Butler, Rhett A. "Deforestation in the Amazon." Monga Bay (2008). 22 Feb. 2009
