What views do the migrant farmers in Brazil have on deforestation?

Question

Any arguements/background information that I could use in a debate for my international citizenship class at school?

-Would really appreciate help
Thanks, Vanessa :)

Answer 1

You will find that in all major issues like this that affect the entire world (ozone layer, global warming, reduced icepack, opium, etc.) you have a situation that some people feel it is really important to control what happens to save the world. In fact, they feel so strongly about this issue that they will use every political connection they have, the news media, advertising, disruption groups (greenpeace, tree huggers chaining themselves to trees to stop their being cut down, etc.)

Enter the little guy in third world nations around the world. He has mouths to feed, a life to live. He is simple and lives in a shack with a dirt floor. He has spent his entire life there, has little or no education, cannot read or write, has never been to a city, and certainly has no idea of just how big the world really is. He has no reference points.

Consider the farmer that plants poppies in far lands. He could care less if some young child in New York City is going to overdose from the product of this plant in two short weeks. He does not care about anything other than making a living because he cannot imagine a world larger than the size of their farm. He takes care of hemself... let the rest of the world do the same.

Is the farmer in Brazil sorry the trees are being cut down. Perhaps, but he has probably never even thought about it much less realized that it is even an issue. Who is going to tell him?

Is he going to do something about it. Not a chance. In the world of his priorities, this issue does not even get as high as using the outhouse several times a day.

Answer 2

Well, actually the farm over there are owned by people that own lots of land. They are not peasants that "has spent his entire life there, has little or no education, cannot read or write, has never been to a city, and certainly has no idea of just how big the world really is.". They are relatively educated people . They do know the importance of the forest, but they think that their money is more important and they don't care a **** about the vegetarian girl that thinks that we must protect the forest. But in fact, his employees that do the dirty work fit the descriptions above. That's why they don't denounce.

Answer 3

"if I don't cut down these trees so my cows can eat grass, I will starve and die. It makes no difference to me if all humanity dies 1000 years from now because there is no oxygen since I will die in 100 days if I don't do what I need to do to feed my family"

Answer 4

i dont know