Essay on the environment: looks specifically at deforestation issues and how to remedy the situation

Essay by wunderchickenCollege, UndergraduateA, April 2002

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Executive Summary

This report focuses on the importance of lowering paper production worldwide. The wasteful trends of paper use in practice today cause an insatiable need for paper. When large amounts of paper are produced there are a variety of detrimental effects on the environment that occur. The most obvious consequence of over producing paper is deforestation for raw materials. Deforestation results in global warming, and serious soil erosion. Sites in the Amazon Rainforest are currently being depleted at alarming rates. The report discusses the problems with deforestation that are currently being faced. It then links deforestation of the Rainforests with certain negative environmental effects.

Paper also requires tremendous amounts of power and water to be produced that strain already overburdened power plants and water tables. By straining these resources, the environment becomes unbalanced. From there, paper production also adds in large amounts of pollutants to an already unbalanced environment.

Fortunately, it is possible to reverse the destructive trend of wasteful paper usage and thus lower paper production. There are three main objectives that must be accomplished through education. The first is to begin to reduce the demand for paper by wasting less of it. The second is to recycle the paper already in circulation. The third objective is to clean up the paper producing process. All of these aspirations can be reached through simple education of corporations and children.

It is possible to reverse the current downward spiral of our environment. By educating children, we prevent wasteful trends from continuing. By teaching companies, we give them a means to cutback overhead costs and save the environment as well.

Introduction

Throughout history, paper has been a most valued asset. Its existence allows people to record information, transfer date, and communicate more easily. Modern times have created methods to mass-produce paper...