Environmental Problems in Latin America

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses how Latin America has been struggling with some serious environmental concerns over the last two decades. Air and water pollution, pesticide abuse, soil degradation and deforestation are some of the pressing issues in this part of the world. Furthermore, this paper looks at the case of Argentina to see how the country, which has been struggling through an economic crisis, has seen the bitter end of an environmental catastrophe, and its efforts at redeeming the situation. The drastic effects of genetically modified crop cultivation (in particular GM Soya) and deforestation, the two most important environmental issues, are assessed in this essay.


Outline:
Introduction
GM Soya (A boon or Bane?)
Deforestation
Solutions to Environmental Problems
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"The FSC, developed after the Rio Digenero summit in 1992, focused on the increased global requirement and the depletion of natural resources. FSC is a non-profit organization that offers environmentally sound solutions for managing forests around the world. Asides playing an active supporting role in developing the national and regional forest management standards, the FSC also works with local certifiers to ensure FSC compliance standards are met. In Argentina, the FSC is playing an active monitoring role, and thus the rapid deforestation activities from the paper and other industries, which were thus far unchecked, would now be carefully monitored and assessed for their environmental impact. The Success of the FSC initiative can be attested by the fact that six plantation companies in the country namely Santa Barbara SRL, Faplac, Fiplasto, Forestal Las Marias, Lipsia, Tabepicua, and the Union Bank of Switzerland have become FSC certified bringing a total forest area of around 131,000 hectares under the FSC certification process."

Sample of Sources Used:

• 1) WWF (2007), "Environmental Problems In Argentina: More than 16 Million ha of Forest Cover Lost Between 1980 and 2000", Retrieved May 15th 2007, from, http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/where_we_work/latin_america_and_caribbean/country/argentina/environmental_problems_argentina/index.cfm
• 2) WWF (2007), "Argentina: Our Solutions", Retrieved, May 15th 2007, from, http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/where_we_work/latin_america_and_caribbean/country/argentina/wwf_argentina_conservation/index.cfm
• 3) RTRS (2007) , "Round Table on Responsible Soy", Retrieved May 15th 2007, from , http://www.responsiblesoy.org/eng/index.htm
• 4) FLR (Oct 2003),"The FOREST LANDSCAPE RESTORATION Newsletter: ",Retrieved May 15th 2007, from, http://assets.panda.org/downloads/flrnewsletter6oct2003.pdf
• 5) WWF (Feb 2004), "Native forest operation in Argentina is FSC certified",Retrieved May 15th 2007, from, http://www.panda.org/how_you_can_help/successes/index.cfm?uNewsID=11280

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• Essay # 3845 : "Why NAFTA is Working"

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