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Deforestation of the Pacific Northwest
Deforestation of the Pacific Northwest
One of the most controversial areas associated with the global problem of deforestation is the Pacific Northwest of the US. The problem can be broken down into several issues that all tie in together. These include the near extinction of the Northern Spotted Owl, the “business” aspect of logging versus the environmental aspect, and the role of the government in this problem.
In 1973, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) was passed. This enabled the Dept. of Commerce and Dept. of the Interior to place species, either land or marine, as either threatened or endangered. Under these terms species could no longer be hunted, collected, injured or killed. The northern spotted owl falls under the more serious condition of being endangered. Also, the bill forbids federal agencies to fund or carry out any activity that would threaten the species or its’ habitat. It is the latter part of the bill that causes the controversy. Under the ESA, loggers should not be allowed to cut down the old-growth of the forest. The old growth of a forest includes the largest and oldest trees, living or dead. In the case of the North Coast forests, this includes some thousand-year-old stands with heights above three-hundred feet and diameters of more than ten feet.
In 1990, the number of spotted owls dropped to 2000 breeding pairs. The preservation of any species contributes to the biodiversity of an area. In an ecosystem, the absence of one species creates unfavorable conditions for the others. The absence of the spotted owl could have a significant effect on the
North Coast forest ecosystem. In order to send the owl population in the right direction, the major problem for their decline would have to be remedied – loss of habitat. This fact combined with the owls’ short life expectancy and late age of breeding only exacerbates the problem. When loggers remove old growth the owl loses habitat for its’ food, housing, as well as protection from predators. Approximately ninety percent of the forests in the Pacific Northwest have already been harvested. In order to protect the current owl population, the remaining forests would have to be preserved, but this would have a serious negative economic effect. Such a decision would affect jobs, regional economy, as well as the lifestyle of loggers. With such a great effect, to stop the cutting seems to be an exercise in futility. On the other hand, by continuing the destruction of the owls’ habitat, the only suitable habitat that will remain will be in the confines of a zoo. Seeing an animal in an artificial environment can certainly not be compared to witnessing an animal in its’ natural environment. In my opinion, there can be no price put on the existence of any species on this planet, plant or animal. To think that money has become such an influential part of our society that companies are willing to sacrifice a species in order to make a profit. The northern spotted owl is only one of many species that are on the verge of extinction do to deforestation.
Another important consideration in the deforestation of the Pacific North Coast is logging as a business. The investors of a publicly owned company sole concern is the growth of their stock, and this for lumber companies is accomplished by harvesting trees in the most efficient and cost effective manner. Clear-cutting old growth is the best way to accomplish this. This approach leads to quick financial gain but is not best for the long-term or the trees. It is the companies that use this process that is the most unfavorable to the forests and contributes to deforestation the most.
Another approach uses wise management techniques to maximize the long-term profit
Of the forest. Guest speaker Jerry Howe would fall into this category as a private land owner. As a land “steward,” he believes he can do what he wants with his land. The term “steward” is used to mean that no one can truly “own” the land, it can only be used or under the care of a person. He uses clear-cutting when it has the smallest effect on the environment, he also uses strip cutting in which the forest is cut in strips to provide a buffer zone and is more aesthetically pleasing. His methods are better for the forest due to conservative forestry practices that speed up the regeneration of the forest. This produces a more sustainable yield than clear-cutting alone.
While neither of these techniques is good for the environment, using wise management practices can still produce a large profit while conserving precious ecosystems. For large companies, such as Pacific Lumber, to switch to using conservative forestry practices would take more than proposals by environmentalists and the Forest Service to help the environment to change their current ways. For these companies to switch, it would cost them money to follow the more sustainable approach while also decreasing their profit due to less tree cutting in the short-term. In my opinion, it is up to the government to set standards that force these companies to switch by making regulations more strict as well as a greater number of them if need be.
The role of the government in the deforestation issue has been two-sided. This is evident in the several different stands Congress has chosen on the issue. These include: 1) The preservation of the forests for the public, such as the aesthetic values of them 2) The conservation of the forests to support the timber industry in the future 3) The protection of the right of a private land owner to cut all the trees down they want, with no limit. With indecisiveness like this there is no hope of setting regulations that protect the forests.
On one side of the government lies the “alphabet soup” of federal agencies set up to find solutions to questions like, “What is the sustainable yield of a forest?” These same agencies also decide where taxpayers’ money goes within the logging business. In some cases, the money subsidizes the large companies for things such as logging roads in order to keep the cost of paper and other tree products down. These same companies ship their lumber to Japan for milling before they are sold back to the United States at a higher price. Not only does the public lose money in this process but it costs Americans a number of jobs.
On the other hand, agencies have made efforts to prevent deforestation. Members of the Forest Service educate not only the large companies, but the private landowners as well. It is the private owners who own sixty percent if the forests being harvested. By helping to show how conservative forestry techniques can be made efficient as well as more profitable, they are helping to diminish the rate of deforestation. If more money was spent on research and the spread of new and better techniques, then the taxpayers’ money would be better spent. In conclusion, there are several aspects of deforestation in the Pacific Northwest that need to be evaluated before the situation becomes irreversible. If the current harvesting techniques continue, our children will be missing more than the spotted owl.
Cosmetic Surgery Hinders Self-Esteem
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Cosmetic Surgery Hinders Self-Esteem
To most people, men are minds, power and the amount of money they have and no one cares about what face they carry or wear. Conversely, this is not the case for women; women are beautiful based on their bodies and their looks. Nowadays, people want to be perfect and beautiful, thus do anything to fulfill their needs. Cosmetic surgery is a modern variation practice that is committed to reconstructing facial as well as body flaws due to trauma, burns, birth disorders and ailments. It is intended to correct some dysfunctional body parts. Well, this practice has been an issue of debate where some individuals claim that cosmetic surgery boosts self-esteem while other people argue that it hinders self-esteem; cosmetic surgery is a practice that hinders self-esteem as people fail to appreciate themselves just the way they are and seek for perfectionism.
Whatever the reasons are, many individuals than ever are reporting that they are not satisfied and happy with the way they look. Additionally, studies have proven that happiness is directly linked to people’s self-perception of physical attractiveness. Thus, it isn’t surprising that most people are pleased with the results they achieve after they undergo cosmetic surgeries and affirm that they feel much better about themselves (Llewellyn 29). While some people argue that cosmetic surgery can help improve the self-worth, self-esteem and confidence, those individuals who expect total and complete transformation can be disappointed.
Cosmetic surgery undermines and hinders self-esteem and makes individuals not accept themselves as they are. If people loved and liked themselves, they wouldn’t feel the need of changing themselves. Women specifically are conditioned to look better. There is a lot of stress to be thin and beautiful, and this causes immense self-loathing amounts and emotional distress in women all over the world (Serpil & Uluşahin 452). Cosmetic surgery makes people feel less confident as they always think that other people like a fake version of them. It is not nature’s true reflection as it is intended and leads people to feel less in tune with themselves.
Just like the prefix to the word self-esteem states, self-esteem is entirely dictated to one’s SELF. We have all heard the famous quote that states that” We should first love ourselves, and everything else around us falls into line.” In all aspects of life but as cliché as it might sound, most individuals have forgotten about it, and that is why most plastic surgeons’ advice their patients to never get any procedure for anybody but themselves.
Works Cited
Negrin, Llewellyn. “Cosmetic surgery and the eclipse of identity.” Body & Society 8.4 (2002): 21-42.
Vargel, Serpil, and Aylin Uluşahin. “Psychopathology and body image in cosmetic surgery patients.” Aesthetic plastic surgery25.6 (2001): 474-478.
Deforestation is a significant problem in many countries.
Deforestation
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October 5, 2022
Deforestation is a significant problem in many countries. It involves the rapid cutting of trees and leaving the land bare. When trees are cut randomly, they contribute to deforestation. The decrease in forest area across the world has led to climate change. The main reason there is deforestation is that agricultural practices require adequate space. People cut down trees to get land for practicing agriculture and settlement. The increase in population has also contributed to deforestation as people need more land to build houses. Commercial use of wood has also led to deforestation. People cut down trees to use wood to make wooden goods such as chairs and tables. Other factors that have led to deforestation could be natural causes. These include forest fires and parasite infestation. When fires burn down trees, they become difficult to grow again. Urbanization has also caused deforestation. People leave the rural area to stay in towns, leading to an increasingly urban population. This leads to encroachment that affects forests. Deforestation creates an imbalance in the ecosystem (Gatti et al. 2021). Natural imbalances affect animals and the climate, affecting human beings.
Deforestation requires proper attention in all environments. It has led to the loss of ecosystem balance, including the interruption of seasons. This ends up affecting people’s plans, especially in agriculture. Destruction of the ozone layer has also led to global warming, contributing to very high and shallow temperatures (Gatti et al. 2021). The work of art can be incorporated into the environment in many ways, which can be beneficial. They raise awareness of what is happening to the environment, making people understand how to treat the environment. Many artists have taken the work of art as inspired by the environment. They aim to help people focus on art and the consequences human behavior could have on the environment.
Art is defined by creativity and inspired by very many aspirations of people. Many artists express their own emotional life through their works of art. Ikahl Beckford is an artist who has done a job on deforestation (Ikhal 2016). The painting he has done on canvas can be made in various sizes. He is a Jamaican-born artist who does his work as an inspiration from his conscious thoughts. He has shown great creativity through very many artworks that he has done. He was born in Jamaica which shaped some of his characters as a visionary. He was raised in New York, which contributed to his creative artwork. His work that relates to deforestation is called the earth crisis painting. Tim Kingsmill brown is another artist interested in environmental artwork. He has done a job on landscapes which inspires him to paint (fineartamerica 2015). His main aim is to bring out the environment’s mood and make people feel the presence of the environment he has painted about.
Ikahl Beckford is a New York-based artist. His country of origin is Jamaica which has shaped his creativity. His art career started when he was young, although he did not have a specific line in which he drew. He did random artwork. He has had seventy-three paintings, which spray across different fields. He currently lives in New York, contributing to his talent in art. He is not limited to art alone but also has experience in poetry and guitar playing. He takes a keen interest in what appeals to various people and not only people of the same line. He has embraced diversity in his artwork. In one of his works, he addresses the problem of deforestation. As the title goes, Earth crisis is a painting that shows various aspects of deforestation (fineartamerica 2015). The image portrays the face of someone shedding tears due to the ongoing tree cutting down. The trees are seen to have fallen leaves, which signifies their loss. The hands of the trees represent the aspect of how people are suffering due to this loss. This
painting has been made using oil on canvas. It was painted in 2008, and the main aim was to address the problem of deforestation affecting the world.
The color brown dominates the image. This is a color that represents dry forests or areas that do not have a tree. Trees are known to have a green color, especially when thriving. There is a face-like image in the painting, which shows a human being crying. The tears could represent the suffering human beings encounter as fruits of deforestation. The size of the picture varies depending on various aspects (fineartamerica 2015). This is a two-dimensional art because it has a width and length but lacks depth. It is 6.5’’ *8’’ in size.
Tim Kingsmill Brown is the second artist who has done some deforestation-related work. He is a British-based artist who was born in London in 1954. He was trained in art at Exeter Art but later diverged into a different path that was not common with other artists. He started researching the old masters’ art. He developed a passion for landscapes and focused on attaining the true spirit designated to the place. He desired that people would connect with the environment through his painting (SAATCHI ART 2018). He was more interested in nature, and the interconnects it relates with people other than the actual topography. Bushfire painting is one of Tims’s works of art. This painting was made on October 2020 in Australia. Its main aim was to show the forest fires which were in the areas of Sumatra and Indonesia. This fire was uncontrolled, which destroyed the trees and other wild animals. These were intentional because the land was intended for planting palm oil or producing paper. This painting has gained popularity and
The portrait enables people to relate to it and shows the effects of deforestation on wildlife and the plantation. It also shows how some natural causes can be used to achieve the process of deforestation, but at the same time, human intentions can be seen clearly. The painting is made of canvas oil, and it represents landscape. Its main aim is to create expressions of bushfires in that particular land, which means what happens in many other lands. The artwork shows yellow color, which represents fires (SAATCHI ART 2018). An image of smoke shows it ascending upwards, representing air pollution. When bushfires occur, they contribute to air pollution and global warming (Sataachi Art 2020). There is a mountain in the background of the portrait, which shows the wildfire covering it. This clearly shows the effects of bushfires, making it difficult even for animals to escape. Therefore, from the elements of the painting, it is clear that bushfires and deforestation occur, affecting the natural ecosystem.
These two artists have been used as environmentalists who intend to bring people’s attention to deforestation. The art of works has aspects that point out various aspects of deforestation. They both show how deforestation has affected nature and the ecosystem. They communicate how humans will suffer if they continue to encourage this kind of behavior. Both paintings show that humans intend to destroy forests for their benefit. Both have been made oil on canvas which offers the quality of the painters. The colors in both paintings are almost similar. They show the ending of forests. The artists plan to ensure they bring people to the actual feeling of their message. They have confirmed that people can relate easily relate to the environment. Their aspirations inspire them as artists and do not necessarily follow what other artists do. They have gained emerse fame in their work since they started doing it.
The two works of art also have their differences. The first image of the earth crisis shows the actual outcome of deforestation: human tears flowing, which is not in the second image. It also indicates humans working to destroy forests which is more intentional than the second painting, which shows more natural bushfires. The second painting explains the reason why the forest is being burnt. The human intention is clear to plant palm oils in the clearing. The other difference can be the strategies used by both artists in the painting on earth crisis; the painter is not a landscaper, but he does what appeals to people, while the second painter is interested in the landscape, which interests him.
Artist Collaboration Proposal
The two artists have achieved the purpose of art and the environment. In this particular problem, they have represented deforestation as a whole. Whether it was their intention or not, they have succeeded in ensuring that people learn and know what is happening to the forests and its effects. This makes it easier for both of them to collaborate with the same intention and create more paintings to show the same. The environment has many aspects, and the collaboration of these two will help cover a wide area. The main aim is to make art the driver for change in what destroys the environment. It should act like a cautioning or warning system to populations. Tim Kingsmills Brown and Ikahl Beckford can make a great collaboration, mainly due to their experience. These two have made many artworks that contribute to their experience. However, they can both work together in an equal position.
The two artists should consider having new ideas for making their paintings. Both have addressed the issue of deforestation, and it came out well when they were working individually. They could work together and address several aspects of environmental sustainability. They can use the information from the reports being given regarding environmental problems. They should work together to address the new trends in the world that affect the environment. For example, they can handle the loss of biodiversity due to deforestation. This will make the artwork to be diverse and more understandable. They could also improve their painting to build one collaborative image. Both artists have used oil on canvas. They could improve this by coming up with a mixture of these paintings’ designs. For example, through oil paintings, they can express realism. This means reflecting on the real-life situations of trends in the world.
These two artists can collaborate and create a project that reflects the most significant areas affected by deforestation. They could make a painting that is three-dimensional with many colors. They can work on understanding the trends that have happened from the past to the recent ones when it comes to deforestation. This painting should have increased size compared to their previous works. They should incorporate idealistic images and authentic images of the effect of deforestation on people (Veldkamp et al. 2020). They could come up with a trend that shows the outcome of deforestation. For example, they can take an interest in the deforestation of the Brazillian Amazon and how people cleared it for pasture and farming. This led to the loss of the ecosystem in this region and has encouraged further deforestation. The artists can use painting brushes to achieve this, and the process should first be drawing the images and enriching them with various colors. This process will ensure that people can relate to them personally. This is because they will choose colors that can associate with what is happening in the Brazilian Amazon.
Deforestation is a significant problem that is affecting many countries of the continent. The work of art used to represent deforestation has been widely used to bring to attention its outcome. Tim Kingsmills Brown and Ikahl Beckford have tried to open people’s eyes to this topic. They have used the best artwork to show deforestation. This offers their connection towards deforestation and how they desire that people could stop and work towards a better ecosystem. Just as the artists have identified the problem of deforestation, everyone needs to be kept when it comes to this topic. Individuals, the public, and the government should all work together to reduce deforestation. This can be done by educating people on its effects and adverse outcomes. They need to encourage people to plant more trees to preserve the ecosystem. Deforestation causes the loss of wild animals and contributes to global warming. According to scientists, global warming is the leading cause of changes in seasons, poor outcomes of crops, and increased drought in many parts of the world. Environmental sustainability requires the collaboration of every individual in society.
Bibliography
fineartamerica. 2015. “Earth Crisis by Ikahl Beckford.” Fine Art America. 2015.
https://fineartamerica.com/featured/1-earth-crisis-ikahl-beckford.html.
Gatti, Luciana V., Luana S. Basso, John B. Miller, Manuel Gloor, Lucas Gatti Domingues,
Henrique L. G. Cassol, Graciela Tejada, et al. 2021. “Amazonia as a Carbon Source
Linked to Deforestation and Climate Change.” Nature 595 (7867): 388–93. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03629-6.
Ikhal. 2016. “About the Artist.” Ikahl Art Studio. 2016. https://www.artikahl.com/about-the-
artist.
SAATCHI ART. 2018. “About Tim Kingsmill Brown.” Www.kingsmill-Brown.com. 2018.
http://www.kingsmill-brown.com/bio.html.
Sataachi Art. 2020. “Bushfire. Painting.” Saatchi Art. 2020.
https://www.saatchiart.com/art/Painting-Bushfire/339272/7574249/view.
Veldkamp, Edzo, Marcus Schmidt, Jennifer S. Powers, and Marife D. Corre. 2020.
“Deforestation and Reforestation Impacts on Soils in the Tropics.” Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, September, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-020-0091-5.