In 1979 the rain forests were being destroyed at a rate of 29,000 square miles a year. It is estimated that approximately 50,000 species of plants may hold the secrets to curing some of our worse diseases. In a rain forest in Brazil researchers found a plant that may have been the cure for AIDS but when scientists returned the plant was gone. A whole mile radius was gone.

It's not just the people of the countries that have rain forests that are ruining them. People and companies from our country are also ruining them. People learned that Burger King was importing cheap beef from tropical countries in Central America, were rain forests were cut down for pasture for the cattle. The Rain Forest Action Network led a nation wide boycott of Burger King. After sales dropped 12%, Burger King canceled 35 million worth of beef contracts with Central America and announced they stopped importing rain forest beef. Who knows how long they had been doing that and how many other companies are doing the same exact thing. A company may be doing the same thing and they will do the same thing until someone discovers they are doing this.

The rain forests are big bucks . So many species of insects and plants live there. We know of many harvesting techniques which if used could save the forests to gain the benefit of what is there. We could create plantations of the materials we desire and preserve the forests. But this can't happen if researchers have to put all their efforts into saving the forests and not into figuring out what is out there.

For instance, the Mitsubishi boycott that is happening right now. It actually started in 1990, it is a world wide effort to stop the destruction of the rain forests. The Rain forest Action Network is trying to organize the campaign to stop logging in the rain forests. The Mitsubishi Corporation, one of the largest corporations, buys millions of cubic feet of timber from other logging companies, which makes it one of the largest importers of timber in the world. Mitsubishi logs from the Philippines, Malaysia, Papua new Guinea, Bolivia, Indonesia, Brazil, Chile, Canada, Siberia and the United States. As you can see this is affecting many countries and something needs to be done.

Rain forests are important to the air we breath. They are important to curing some diseases. Yet we continue to destroy them . When people decide that the forests are more important then money . Scientists can start discovering new plants and animals and we can start curing some diseases and solving problems that we have had for centuries. Rain forests are also home to people and they are very beautiful areas that not many people have seen . People have been to see mountains and deserts but not many people have seen in person the beauty of the forests. Please help the rain forests, whether it is sending money or having your company stop cutting them down. Help.

From: http://www.ion, 11/13/96

www.sci.net, 1120/96.