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Saving What Remains SUSTAINABLE USE OF LARGE-SCALE FOREST PRODUCTS About 40% of rainforest deforestation is caused by commercial interests: the logging, cattle, agricultural development, mining, hydroelectric, and other industries. Today these industries are mostly dependent on the one-time exploitation of forest areas and moving on to new patches after those immediate resources have been depleted. These industries are often encouraged by impoverished governments in search of quick revenue. These governments look to the forest as a means of bringing in foreign income to pay off their debts and to improve their economy in the short term - overlooking the depletion of these important natural capital assets. In doing so, these governments may be retarding future growth and further impoverishing future generations. In promoting (through subsidies and market incentives) such false economies which enable tropical countries to export cheap particle board and raw timber, governments are ignoring the best path for future economic growth. For long-term growth, developing countries must begin to build up their technological base by encouraging industries that promote technological progress and sustainable use. Wealth collected from extractive industries - essentially rent earned not from hard work or ingenuity, but from the particular qualities of the land - does not build a solid foundation for an economy. The problem lies in the rural development model based on mining of resources rather than development. Natural resources are mined without consideration of future harvests. To save the rainforests we must find a way for these companies to remain profitable without devastating the environment. In the future if we value the forests, these industries must provide jobs that will save the environment and not destroy it. We cannot reasonably expect local people to shun employment with these companies if they are the only form of work available to feed, house, and clothe their families. Sustainable industry can provide long-term employment for the rural poor since it, unlike logging or large-scale agriculture, will not diminish the forest's capacity to provide for future generations if carried out properly. There are many challenges facing industries that exploit forest resources, and difficult decisions and compromises will have to be made. These challenges stem from the differing opinions of the value of forest products and the services that forests provide. Developers must find a means to satisfy the growing demand for forest products and resources, while protecting forests and the environmental services they provide.
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