Forest Issues In Brazil

Grizzly Bears

Website/URL:
http://wildernesscommittee.org/what_we_do/safeguarding_wildlife/grizzly_bears

Summary: Grizzly Bears are starting to become extinct and there doesn’t seem to be much happening about it. The few Grizzlys that are left walk the Canada-US border in BC and Alberta and these innocent bears are in huge trouble. They need abundant wilderness to survive, a wilderness that is fast falling off the face of the earth. One of many major threats to the grizzly population is the increase of motorized human access and associated developments like ski-resorts in the back-country and highways and which impede grizzly movement. Conflict with humans, logging and oil and gas exploration has also devastating affects.” Grizzly bears historically ranged from Alaska down to Mexico and as far east as Manitoba. Only 200 years ago as many as 6000 bears would have roamed the lands we now call Alberta. That number now stands at around 580, much lower than 1000 threshold that designates them as a threatened species.”-http://wildernesscommittee.org./grizzlybears-. Although Alberta has taken the step of banning hunting, neither the BC or Alberta government have offered grizzlies any real form of protection, in fact they both did the very opposite by disbanding Grizzly Bear Recovery Teams, and ignoring the scientific justification for habitat protection. They need a way to stop hurting these beautiful animals and start protecting them, but sometimes it’s hard to find co-oporation.

Opinion: In my opinion, Grizzly Bears should not be hurt or played with for that matter. These animals were not put on the planet to be tampered with and to have their life in danger. If they hurt someone then you tame them but if someone it freightening them and making them uncomfortable in their own habitat, wouldn’t you expect them to start attacking? They are having their world torn upside down , watching species of themselves disappear. Something should be done and people should be stopped. How would you like it if there was someone doing this to you, your family and your home?

Stop Old-Growth Logging

Website/URL: http://wildernesscommittee.org/what_we_do/protecting_wild_lands/stop_old_growth_logging

Summary: British Columbia, Canada is home to some of the Earth's most spectacular, ancient temperate forests, including the world's largest Douglas fir tree (the Red Creek Fir) and second-largest western red cedar tree (the Cheewhat Cedar). These old forests provide essential habitat for endangered wildlife such as the spotted owl and marbled murrelet. The Wilderness Committee is asking the British Columbia government to protect the ancient forests of British Columbia by quickly banning logging in the most endangered old-growth forest types and phasing-out old-growth logging from the b of it by 2015. “Other jurisdictions, including New Zealand, have banned old-growth logging in recent years. BC can feasibly do the same as most of the richest valley bottom forests (where logging is most profitable) have already been converted into second growth forests where logging can occur at a reduced pace, while freeing-up the remaining ancient forests for protection.”


Opinion: When people have and receive jobs they get excited. When people are ruining the wildlife and their habitats, they get careless. 90% of the forests now-a-days are being evicted by logging and the careless ness of logging. Being one the most spectacular , ancient temperate forests including some of the worlds best and biggest trees, they forest should be only looked after and not messed with. People start going money crazy and then stop caring about everything else. This is something that should be taking under control and dealt with before it’s too late.

BC's Rivers At Risk

Website/URL:
http://wildernesscommittee.org/what_we_do/defending_public_lands/bcs_rivers_risk

Summary: Many of the 600 water bodies have been staked by private power corporations over the last seven years in British Columbia.” The rush to stake our streams and rivers was triggered by the 2002 Energy Plan when the provincial government forbade BC Hydro, our very profitable crown corporation, from producing new sources of hydroelectricity as part of a government shift to deregulate the electricity sector in BC. Since that time there has been a 1040 percent increase in waterpower license applications, with mining companies, stock promoters and even U. S. giant General Electric looking to develop BC streams and rivers for power.” There were many problems throughout all this . Some stated which is:
• There is no provincial planning and local governments, through the enactment of the infamous Bill 30 have had their zoning authority removed.
• Most projects do no undergo an environmental assessment and even if they do the cumulative impacts of the transmission lines, logging, road networks, and river diversions which accompany these projects are not evaluated by the provincial government.
• Not surprisingly, there is growing public concern regarding the wisdom of turning over our rivers and the production of hydroelectricity to the private sector.

Opinion: To me, nobody or no corporation should be taking advantage of great waters, clean waters or no waters that as no right to be touched. This is where all the problems start, not only in BC or in different parts of Canada but everywhere. Most of the time problems doesn’t start until people start making problems like this one. Take my previous post for example, Spotted Owls would still count to 500 pairs but people started messing around with their habitat killing their population off to 5 pairs. That’s a big jump. People need to start thinking before they act if not we ( as a province, community, country and world) won’t have anything left, but everything ruined.

Spotted Owl

Website/URL: http://wildernesscommittee.org/what_we_do/safeguarding_wildlife/spotted_owl

Summary: This owl is only found is southwestern corner of British Columbia. The bird depends on old-growth forest to roost, nest and forage. Because of continuous logging in the ancient forests of southwestern British Columbia scientist figured that just 8 sets of owls are left. In history of the owls in Canada use to be 500 sets. Now because of this the Wilderness Committee is asking for a number one things which are:
1. The recovery of the spotted owls to 250 birds as recommended by the Spotted Owl Recovery Team.
2. The protection of all occupied and unoccupied intact Spotted Owl habitat.
3. The recovery of fragmented Spotted Owl habitat.
4. A total of enough protected habitat to accommodate 250 Spotted Owls.

Opinion: In my opinion the spotted owl is one of the most prettiest birds there is. To be killing birds are one thing but to be ruining their homes and habitats is another. People don’t want to be killing owls and birds are the ones that could be damaging their home which is the same thing. Something should really be done about this and done quick.

Woodworking unions and environmentalists propose bold new plan to protect forests and jobs while fighting climate change

Website/URL: http://wildernesscommittee.org/press_release/author/woodworking_unions_and_environmentalists_propose_bold_new_plan_protect_forests

Summary: People working in the forest are causing many things. Before when people starting to work in the forest they did it care free and didn’t look at the consequences. They ruined homes for animals by cutting down trees. By using the big machines and hydroelectric tools, it polluted the air me breath and hurt the ozone layer, adding to the fact of global warming. When next to ponds and rivers, sap from the tress would reach the water along with pin bows and other sorts of armful things that could hurt anyone or anything using the water. These people want to protect the forests and everything around it so it would not be affected by human’s jobs and human life.” Forest industry unions and leading environmental groups have united behind a plan that calls on the BC government to conserve more forest, halt rampant wood waste and promote wise use of forest products — all as part of a concerted effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

Opinion:
My opinion on this article is that something should have been done a long time ago before everything was almost too late. It’s not exactly the most impressing thing when you know someone doesn’t care about what their doing either to themselves, the environment or the animals.

BC’s Killer Whales

Website/URL: http://wildernesscommittee.org/what_we_do/preserving_the_pacific_coast/bcs_killer_whales


Summary: Killer whales are very scarce and have very few left in the waters. There are 85 whales between the waters on Washington and B.C. These whales are under threat from toxins, acoustic disturbances and diminished food supply.” The southern residents’ whales are so polluted with toxic chemicals that they are currently four to five times more contaminated than the highly toxic beluga whales of the St.Lawrence Seaway in Central Canada.” Everyone needs to pull together to fix the pollution, help get more food and lower the toxic contamination from these killer whales so the life span can be longer and they can produce more whale species like themselves. Even though people are trying to help these species. The federal government is refusing to use SARA to protect Canada’s 500 species at risk.

Opinion: In my opinion, Killer whales should be taken more care of and the government should help protect them. People are being very dumb about all this and that people should start taking more act in trying to lower contamination, raise food supply and hope so a good result such as a better environment and more species to be made from the longer life span of the whales. No one wants to be in a bad environment so why have innocent animals in a bad environment. More and more species are becoming at risk everyday and less and less people care everyday.