Huynh 1 Diana Huynh EN 1010 Exploratory Paper 4B

Deforestation Benefits and Consequences

Deforestation has been a hot button issue due to the contentiousness surrounding climate change. What exactly is deforestation? After doing research and reading two texts: Benefits of Deforestation by Nathalie Fiset and Short Essay on Deforestation by Sangeeta Dutta, it is the depletion and devastation of forests and trees around the world. Benefits of Deforestation lists the few advantages of cutting down forests. Fiset explains how deforestation provides us with natural resources, job opportunities, housing, and agriculture. On the other hand, Short Essay on Deforestation claims that it is damaging to our atmosphere and could potentially push certain plants and animals to extinction. Dutta strongly feels that deforestation could put animals and plants into extinction and that it is a big factor in global warming. Both of these articles acknowledge the fact that deforestation can be bad but Fiset gives reasons along with explanations in how it could also be an advantage, while Dutta explains how it negatively affects our planets environment. Although they both agree that deforestation has some negative effects on E arths overall environment and climate, they have different views on reasons why

deforestation is beneficial. While one feels that it benefits humans, the other argues that it harms not just humans, but also plants and animals. For instance, Fiset explains in her essay that deforestation helps boost the economy because of the economic impact of commodities such as lumber. Lumber is one of the most used materials in our society for housing, furniture, and paper as well as being renewable resource. It also provides job opportunities in industries such wood cutters, those that work in processing plants to make glue from wood sap, and those that process pulp into paper. Along with creating more jobs directly related to wood, it also gives farmers arable land to grow crops on Fiset also argues that deforestation clears land and makes it available for housing and development to meet the demands of an increased population. Work offices, factories, research facilities, and medical advances could be built on deforested areas and would also contribute in creating more jobs. Finally, deforestation provides us with natural resources within the cleared area. Some examples are iron ore, minerals, and oil deposits which can be useful. In contrast, Dutta feels that deforestation is completely unnecessary and damaging to the environment. Deforestation could potentially cause the extinction of certain plants and animals that inhabit in the forest. Not only that, Dutta explains how deforesting trees in these areas greatly disrupts our atmosphere. Trees take carbon dioxide out of the air and replace it with clean oxygen for us to breath, but with deforestation, CO2 is then released back into the air and is trapped, preventing heat from the Sun to escape back into space thus causing the greenhouse effect. This affects our climate and contributes to global warming. Trees play an important role in supplying freshwater by helping release moisture into the air which is then converted

into clouds and produce rain. Cutting down a large amount of trees in a short amount of time could cause a big negative impact on our climate and disrupt this natural cycle. Trees also help with the formation of soil by breaking small pieces of rock into smaller bits and help mix the dirt up with their roots. They both agree that deforestation is a good thing, but where their views differ is how much deforestation should take place. Fiset believes that deforestation can be a good thing if they use the resources responsibly, while Dutta feels that deforestation is okay but to a certain extent. Fisets views are almost entirely positive explaining the benefits of deforestation. She thinks that with responsibility and carefulness, deforesting areas shouldnt cause much damage to the environment. Due to the growing population and higher demands for food, the best option is to cut down a forest since they have the richest soil. She doesnt point out the fact that it could greatly impact our climate but rather just explains how cleared areas are useful. Dutta on the other hand, is much more negative and explains the overall effects of deforestation on Earth as a whole. She doesnt allow the other side of the argument to be in her essay, she just strictly explains her view. She points out how methane and CO2 released in the air from cutting trees, creates a blanket of gas around our planet, locking in the Suns heat rays and causes global warming. Dutta feels th at people must learn to recycle paper products and use our resources more sparingly to protect and prevent deforestation from increasing. She states, The world did exist before the making of paper. A lot of things like paper kitchen towels, facial tissues can be avoided if only we are not so obsessed with the word disposable. Shes implying that by using less unnecessary things, it will reduce the rate of deforestation.

I think that Duttas views are much more realistic because you cant always guarantee that people cutting down forests will always be responsible and careful unlike Fiset seems to believe. Dutta uses statistics and stated that, 80% of our forests have already been destroyed. Fiset does explain some very good points on how beneficial deforestation can really be and feels that our duty is not to hold back and stop cutting trees but rather do it and use what we get out of it responsibly. She says, It is to use what we glean from the Earth responsibly and wisely for humanity and the plan ets benefit. Her view is that we should use what we have and make the best of it instead of worrying about using too much of it since she believes that it can be solved by simply replanting seeds. After researching and reading these articles, Ive realized that deforestation is a critical thing nowadays due to a large population and has caused many problems for environmentalists and those who need the resources, jobs, and housing in those areas. It definitely raised some questions and makes me wonder, do we really use all the resources and benefits we get from cutting trees or do we let it waste and use what was only needed or wanted. If people know about the greenhouse effect and global warming, why have they continued cutting trees to make matters worse? How much damage has deforestation done to the Earth? How polluted is the air now that deforestation has increased? Fiset explains that we can simply solve the problem by replanting new trees to replace the ones lost. Duttas view shows how much damage cutting trees can really cause like extinction of certain plants and animals. There are only so many resources we have before there is nothing left.

These two writers have definitely opened my eyes on the general idea of deforestation and the different views people can have on it. While it is also benefiting us, it is also hurting us. Fiset states that the good outweighs the bad in deforestation while Dutta only explains the bad but agrees deforestation is okay to a certain extent. Reading the articles made me realize that we really should start to recycle in order to preserve what we have and make good use of it before its all gone. Deforestation is used for paper, resources, housing, and agriculture, but by recycling and reducing our use of it, we could preserve our forests a little bit longer and decrease the rate of deforestation. I feel that we all need to take a break to lay back and look at the nature around us. Trees help clean the air we breathe and if we continue to waste paper like we are now, the air will soon get worse and worse. Trees also provide us with shade once it gets really hot in the area. But on the other hand, when there is no place left for housing and buildings to be built, forests are where they are going to go. It may seem like a winwin in the moment of deforesting the area, but in the end, having trees around will benefit us much more. I feel like trees were put here before we were and so just because we have improved and increased our technology, cutting down trees shouldnt be the answer. They were put here on this planet to help us by clearing the air of gases and pollution. Fiset and Dutta offer us two very good points of views on this topic and that though deforestation is acceptable, it should only be to a certain extent. It would be great if the society as a whole, began to recycle more to save our environment if they really knew what would happen if deforestation increases. Even if it does increase,

there would at least be a few benefits from it like resources, jobs, homes, buildings, food, and transportation. I feel that if deforestation is going to happen, it should be done with care and responsibility to reduce the consequences from it like global warming, soil erosion, and extinction.

Works Cited Fiset, Nathalie. Benefits of Deforestation. Dutta, Sangetta. Short Essay on Deforestation