Amazon

In the following essay I am going to describe the increasing problem of the destruction of the Amazonian rainforest. The forest lies in Amazonia, an area of Brazil, so called because of its proximity to the river Amazon. The Amazonian rainforest was once flourishing with growth and teeming with wildlife. However, due to the rapid rate at which the forest is being decimated, few trees will remain for the next generation to perceive. This crisis is so extreme that every day an area the size of Wales is demolished, and in only half an hour approximately half a million trees are pulverised.

Already, half the original rain forest has been destroyed. And the reason for this catastrophic abolishment of nature? Money! One of the foremost problems is the construction of huge roads proceeding though the forest and knocking down trees and vegetation in its path. These roads often consist of thousands of kilometres of very basic, primitive, bumpy tracks carved out of the sandy soil. The most prestigious road of its kind is the “Trans Amazonian Highway. ” The roads are built to connect the rain forest with Brazil’s major cities, of which the majority are situated on the coast.

Although the building of these roads should not contribute to the destruction of the rainforest, due to heavy machinery and the odd careless worker many trees are being damaged unnecessarily. They are cutting down far from the minimal amount of trees possible for the project. The consequence of the Amazonian rainforest being made accessible to major cities is the increasing potential of well established and prospering businesses set to make a fortune for some poor Brazilian families. As an outcome to this are frontier towns comprised from wood extracted and transported from the rainforest.

Brazil is home to millions of impoverished citizens. The general domestic standards in homes often consist of no water or electricity and fairly severe food shortages. This poor standard of life encourages many families to move west in search of better conditions in which to work and live. The government issued each family with a plot of land to cultivate and occasionally this would include a house. The poor Brazilians began to rebuild their lives, however, before their land could be utilised it had to go through the lengthy but crucial process of removing all the trees from their plot.

To do this they used destructive tools like axes and chainsaws then after to get rid of any remnants of life they would burn it. This was a further problem as many fires got out of hand and lead to major forest fires. After a while it became known as “slash and burn” Once the land was clear the settlers started to plant and grow their crops, corn, manioc and sweet potatoes to feed their families. Because the settlers had know knowledge of agriculture many wasted time carrying procedures to no effect.

At first their crops were productive, however, because there were no trees left to shield the soil from the penetrating sun it soon dried out and the yield sunk into decline. After ten years there was nothing to harvest, so, the settlers packed up their positions and moved on to another plot to start again. After another ten years the same thing would happen and they would move to another plot. Many millions of trees were destroyed in this way. However after approximately thirty years the area the settlers had originally inhabited had re grown, so the people alternated between plots.

These people were nicknamed as “the shifting cultivators. Although this did contribute to destroying the rainforest they were not major destroyers. An additional Contribution to the destruction of the rainforest is the trading of forest land to large companies who in exchange give money to the Brazilians. These companies are not concerned for the welfare of the forests and its wildlife. Their main interest is establishing their businesses so they will become a thriving success. However before they can commence with the construction work the forest trees have to be cleared quickly and therefore the most efficient method of doing this is fire.

This process proves fatal to the environment in a wide variety of different ways. Firstly when trees are burned it causes an enormous amount of smoke and consequently lots of pollution. In addition, fire is extremely unpredictable, and depending on the direction of the wind any forest adjacent to the plot of land possessed by the company is under the risk of also being burned. This form of destruction is also far worse for the animals inhabiting the forest, because, unlike the chopping down of trees the animals have a minimal opportunity of survival… early every living organism is slaughtered.

The citizens of the forest are also endangered, many people die this way. Beef is currently in considerable demand all over the world; people just can’t get enough of it. The poor people of Brazil saw this as a great opportunity to make money and consequently started purchasing large ranches in the rainforest in which to nurture and breed their cattle. However, once the cows have consumed all the grass and vegetation in one field they are transferred to another, this system goes on all the time.

In consequence to huge areas of land being trodden on for many years, the soil looses its fertility and therefore no seeds or crops can survive. This system is increasingly being used around Brazil and is by far the biggest and worst destroyer. For years, areas of the rainforest have been destroyed by fire for varying causes. Subsequently, all this pollution is adding to the already horrific situation of global warming. If the pollution of are planet continues at this rapid rate in as little as 100 years many peoples lives could be ruined.

Islands similar to Guernsey could be completely beneath the sea. The reason for this future disaster is the gasses which are being constantly radiated off industry and then interwoven in the Earths atmosphere, this consequently forms a warm blanket around the Earth which is starting to melt the ice at the poles, and as the ice melts the sea level rises and starts to flood flat land areas. An as a result of this many farming land will be destroyed and therefore food will become more scarce and prices near exorbitant for poor countries.

The situation will be so dyer that the entire country of Bangladesh will be flooded because it is 80% flat land. It is also one of the most highly populated countries in the world. This will impact our lives as well; many areas of the British Isles will become submerged by sea. No country, person or animal will escape the effects of human disregard for the environment around us. Mining is another industry destroying the Rainforest. Large areas of land are dug up by companies wanting to make money from the precious minerals.

The types of substances extracted are, tin, mananes, aluminium, iron and copper. Mining is a huge business and there are lots of additional expenses which have to be considered. For example more space is needed to provide the minors with hospitable accommodation, it is also necessary for 1000 km of railway to be dug for exporting the finished products to their required destinations. More lines are being built at an extremely fast speed. As much as 2 and a half km of the track is built a day and therefore it is not the workers priority, how they get rid of the trees and wildlife.

All this construction is at the expense of the plants and animals. Charcoal making is a large occupation for many Brazilian citizens. However, because of the pollution it sends into the atmosphere it is adding to the greenhouse affect. The process of making charcoal involves baking the wood in a small mound of earth surrounded by sticks it takes a lot of time, experience and care. Charcoal is in such demand that 4 tonnes of wood only lasts for 4 minutes in a factory. Brazil is home to the 4th largest dam in the world.

The purpose of these huge structures (built mostly in the 80’s and 90’s) is to generate cheap electricity. However, some people say they make more than can be used in Brazil, because the Brazilians don’t use many electrical items. The dams function by a series of clever but complicated methods; all rivers start in hills, and therefore flow down the side of the mountain or hill into the sea or a lake. As the water is flowing down the hill inevitably gathers speed and it is this speed that can be converted into electricity by things called turbines.

These turbines are comprised of a large wall built across the river. A small amount of water is let through a small gap, but the rest builds up behind the wall building up force to get through the gap. It is this force which generates the electricity; because inside the turbine there is a wheel which is being turned by the force of the water this can then be transformed into electricity. Brazil makes hydro electricity. However, there are many downsides to this method of resource preserving. Firstly due to the turbine a lot of the forest has been flooded by the water which overflows.

Many animals have drowned and the smaller species which in future will prove vital in the ecosystem had no chance of survival. Even the lucky ones who were rescued appeared to be suffering. The pollution is so bad that the water has become acid and therefore unsafe. The Brazilians were promised that a certain percentage of profits would be donated to support them, however, this has not been the case. It has turned out that Brazil did not originally have the money to fund this project so they borrowed money from large companies and are still paying it back, with interest!

The people in charge of the project it appears have also overlooked some simple ways of making money and at the same time utilising the forest; they could have sold the trees they flooded and in exchange received additional funding. This was an extremely expensive project with what at the end appears to be no final product. The Brazilians can’t use all the electricity being generated. The flooding of the rainforest also disadvantages the Brazilian indigenous peoples. The land protected and preserved for them is being also destroyed along with its citizens.

All the thousands of natives who inhabit the forest are being endangered because of the different people such as gold miners, forest workers and dam builder’s bringing with them new viruses and diseases which they are not immune to and consequently can not fight off. Gold mining is the final thing which is decimating the forests, to extract the gold they blast the banks with powerful water hoses which erode the river sides. They also use arsenic, which is a poison to extract the gold. The water is consequently polluted and the fish inedible. The land becomes toxic and unusable forever.

In conclusion, I strongly believe that if this disrespect for one of the most beautiful natural phenomena’s of the world refuses to cease, the human race will have destroyed it before we truly recognise what cures and life saving treatment it can offer us. The Amazonian Rainforest is being sabotaged so quickly that unless some drastic action is taken quickly we will never realise the full potential of the forest. There is a lot of controversy and speculation about what to do with the forest, however, I believe the forest should be preserved for one prime reason, and that is the true and rightful owner of the forest… nature.

The homes of these animals are under severe threat and not slowing down. In Just the last five months of 2007, more than 3,200 sq. Kilometers, an area equivalent to the state of Rhode Island, was deforested. The Amazon is the world’s biggest habitat and we are gradually loosing it. The causes of the issue and the process There are many different opinions or attitudes toward threatening the Amazon coming from many different people of different backgrounds. When someone has an pollen they have a thought about how something should be.

People Like Indigenous people have opinions and so do people who work at the Amazon all the way to those people who work in the government. All these different opinions can conflict against each other as everyone may have a different view towards this issue. There are a number of issues for the Amazon being under threat and the mains reasons are: ranching and agriculture, commercial fishing, smuggling, damming, logging and mining. The reason for these threats is that the Amazon is the biggest rain forest In the world and people Is taking advantage of this.

More than half of Earth’s rain rests have already been lost forever to the greedy human demand for wood and land. The Amazon is like a pile of gold that is being over-invested’ in by the rich to make them richer and now is running out. The rate of population growth is climbing at a rapid rate but the rate of meat consumption is greater and this is having a harsh effect on the Amazon rainforest’s. The high amount of demand means we need to farm more cattle and the Amazon Is their first destination with Cattle pastures occupying 80% of the deforested areas In the Amazon.

Ranching and agriculture Is the single arrest contributor to deforestation. Ranching is the extensive art and science of which there is a large herd of cattle, sheep, or horses raised( as shown in the picture on the side). The art of ranching Is a complicated art to master which requires you to know many things and keep records of all your cattle, you should maintain records, made sure that the area you are ranching is secure, prepare for breeding season and much more. Ranching Is the only way to keep up with the high demand of meat. Ranching occurs In the land that has fallen velvet to deforestation.

This Is because hat land is already available and is perfect condition to breed a large herd of cattle, sheep or horse. Ranching goes on in 80% of the land that has fallen victim to deforestation. This activity does take a lot of land but is needed to satisfy current beef consuming rates. The main source of food and income for indigenous Amazonian people are fish, but In the modern day large industries are harvesting fish over fishing and threatening wildlife as if indigenous Amazonian don’t have fish to eat they will have to eat the wildlife.

Over fishing is gradually increasing and may come catastrophic if nothing is done. Over fishing is when we fish so much in a certain regain that the fishes struggle to reproduce. This seems like a near impossible task to do but with modern day tactics and technology like industrial trawlers(as shown on the side)armed with gill nets that can scoop up entire schools of fish in a completely indefensible attempt to bring food to market and up to 60% of their catch is lost to spoilage. Industrial trawlers are spoiling the balance of the Amazon. Over fishing occurs in the Amazon River.

This is because the Amazon River s very large and is the home to many species of fish which can easily be fished. Experts predict that there are around 5000 different fish species in the Amazon rainforest’s. The Amazon River is also the home to some of the fiercest piranhas. Smuggling is a big business in the Amazon with it was estimated that the illegal trade in wildlife is worth at least SIS$5 billion. The reason this activity happens is that it provides a good living for the smugglers and their family. Smuggling has to stop Smuggling is when you take animals illegally and sell them to people.

This activity as oh know is going on in the Amazon and is one of the rainforest’s greatest threats. While smuggling you must be quite and sneaky to make sure you don’t get caught. Many countries have extremely strict laws against smuggling animals because of its severity. Smuggling animals happens all throughout the rainforest’s, this is because the rainforest’s is not guarded by any person 2417 and it is easy to get away with smuggling in the Amazon. Smuggling is a big industry which potentially can exceed of IS$20 billion annually.

Smuggling is one of the many reasons why the Amazon is endangered and why we need to stop it. We build large hydroelectric dams in the Amazon in order to provide us with energy and provide clean pollution free energy. In our growing world hydroelectric dams provide a bee ken of hope for a better future but we Just don’t have the land to provide for them, that’s why we are using the land that has fallen victim to deforestation in the Amazon. Bell Monte is the world’s biggest hydroelectric dam in the world currently under construction in the Amazon basin.

These dams are funded by international aid and development organizations like the World Bank which have led to widespread forest loss. Hydroelectric dam’s power is produced as water passes through the dam, the amount of energy produced is based on the amount of water that passes through. Electricity is produced by a device called a turbine. Turbines contain metal coils which are surrounded by magnets. When the magnets spin over the metal coils, electricity is produced. Turbines are located inside dams. The falling water spins the magnets within the dam (as shown on the previous page).

These dams are made in the cleared out area of the Amazon. They are made there because that is the ideal place to make them and because of the low cost. The dams are a leading contributor to land degradation in the Amazon witch needs to stop. Hardwood trees provide wood for many things like furniture, building material, charcoal all the way to paper. If logging in the Amazon was stopped, we would struggle to keep up with the demand of paper and Just everyday items made out of wooden concerning any wooden things. Wood and paper manufacturing enterprises in Italy accounted for 21. % of Logging is important for our daily lives to strive. Logging is when people go to a certain area and cut down trees and transport the logs to a saw mill. They do this moieties with the help of machines but most of it is still hard labor. Since 1970, over 600,000 square kilometers (232,000 square miles) of Amazon rainforest’s have been destroyed (a graph of deforestation on top). Logging is important to maintain the world’s economy. Logging occurs in the Amazon rainforest’s. This is because the Amazon has lots of trees to log and is so vast it will fuel the logging industry for many years to come.

The Amazon rain forest is 5,500,000 km. We need to do something about this arising future crisis. Many everyday items are made from minerals mined in the Amazon basin. We need to mine to keep up with the high demand of the goods that mining produces due to our plants rapid rate of population growth. Every second 4. 3 people are born worldwide; while every second 1. 8 deaths occur. The world population has a net gain of 2. 5 people every second. Our world depends on mining. Mining is when you dig into the ground for different minerals and materials (as shown in the end of the previous page).

This is done with the help of huge machinery and manual labor. When one is mining they need to have many requirements like, they need to have all the machinery ready to purify the minerals and someone to by he minerals and many more. Mining is a vital part of any countries economy. Mining occurs in the empty land of the Amazon because the land there is rich in minerals and extremely vast. Mining in the Amazon is done by the big mining companies because they are the ones who have the money to invest in it.

We cannot underestimate the impact mining can have on the Amazon basin, we need to act. Different perspectives relating to the issue Indigenous people strongly oppose of any threats to the wildlife in the Amazon rain forest because they live of the wildlife and if the wildlife is gone there will be no food, Deforestation is a major factor of habitat loss and the natives don’t like the cutting down of trees, not only because the food will be gone but because the food that is left will create immense competition within the tribes and create great dysfunction, forcing them to create enemies.

Indigenous views should be held at a great level of importance as it is traditionally their land that we are entering. Most of the people working to threaten the Amazon don’t want it to stop. For the people working at the work sites, this work is giving them and their family a living and if it stops their evildoer will collapse because they will not have a Job. The workers need the Amazon to survive. The Brazilian government (building shown on the side) agrees with the workers, as the Amazon is a great income source for many things and is great for the economy.

Without the Amazon many people would be placed into poverty and would promote the black market and illegal activities such as illegal logging, on top of all that the world would not be able to cope as their will be a sudden decline in the number of products being manufactured and with the high demand there is people and companies would not be able to cope. The world needs they have the right to think that way. The indigenous people think about the future and don’t like their environment being destroying, while the workers are thinking about their position and what it would be like if their Jobs where cut.

The government has to think about everything and consider all scenarios and come to a conclusion. I believe all of these opinions are valid opinions that should be respected. Individual, group and governments responses to the issue Greenback( logo on the side) is a global environmental organization and they have en fighting strongly to keep the Amazon safe and out of harm’s way. Green peace’s goal is to have zero deforestation, globally by 2020. By do this by lobbying political powers to take action against this issue and convince the public that their cause is top priority.

Greenback fight for a good cause. Greenback fought for the new forest code not to pass the government as that will lead to an increase in deforestation. They campaigned for the Brazilian president, Dilemma to stop this regressive forest code. Greenback failed but say that the fight is not over yet. Greenback fight for a good cause. World Wildlife Fund (WFM) is another global environmental organization (logo on the left), but they have done more to help the Amazon rainforest’s then green peace. They have invested in depriving soy farming, cattle ranching, hydrophone and illegal and unsustainable logging.

WFM is paving the way for environmental groups worldwide. Soy farming- WFM works with the soy farming industry to make sure that they do as much as they can to reduce their impact to the wildlife around them. Cattle ranching- WFM educates ranchers and teaches them why they should not establish new ranches to increase profit while giving them tips o get the most out of their current ranch, they also teach ranchers how to ranch in a more efficient way. Hydrophone- WFM provides scientific support to help find dam locations that will do the least harm to the environment.

Illegal and unsustainable logging-WFM works to create market conditions that conserve the world’s forests WFM was successful in all of these endeavors. Their plans are more believable and efficient then Green peace’s plans to eliminate deforestation. Eliminating all deforestation by 2020 is a much more difficult task then negotiating with the people ho lead these threats to the Amazon and WFM know that, they have realized that they have to work with the workers as these threats provides them with Jobs and a living.

WFM are a company who has thought of everything. Meanwhile the Australian government (parliament house on the side) has been doing good deeds. Australia has donated $250,000 dollars to the Amazon rainforest’s protection program. Australia’s donation was only the 2nd country to make a donation to the Amazon rainforest’s; this donation was a major boost to the program and will be used wisely. Brazier’s government has been doing things to protect the Amazon basin like setting up a Amazon fund. This fund is aimed at raising money from governments and corporations.

So far, it has secured an agreement with Norway, which will provide US $1 billion over 70 years. As of 2009, Norway has distributed $100 million towards the Amazon Fund. Brazier’s government is slowly helping the Amazon recover. These actions by the Brazilian government have been mildly successful considering how much money they have raised. Individuals have played a big part in saving the Amazon by doing little things like buying a piece of land from the Amazon for says to protect rainforest’s like the Amazon all the way to restricting what they buy to eating less meat to lower the demand for it.

This stopped the north americans Show of the brazilian Minister of Education in the United States This one deserves to be read, after all is not every day that a brazilian shut the north americans up. During a debate at an university, in USA, the ex-governor of DF, ex minister of education and current senator CRISTOVAM BUARQUE, was asked what he thought about the internationalization of Amazonia. The young American beginning his question saying that he expected an answer of a humanist point of view, not of a brazilian.

This was the Cristovam Buarque’s answer: “In fact, as a brazilian, I simply would speak against the internationalization of Amazonia. As much as our government don’t have the right care of this heritage, it’s ours. As a humanist, feeling the environmental degradation that threatens the Amazonia, I can imagine its internationalization, and for everything that has a lot of importance to our humanity as well. If the Amazonia, as a humanity ethics, should be internationalized, let’s also internationalized the oil’s reserves around the world.

The oil is as much important for the welfare of the humanity as the Amazonia is for our future. Nevertheless, oil’s owners feels on the right to increase or decrease the extraction of petroleum, as well as raise its price. The same way, the financial capital of wealthy countries should be internationalized. If Amazonia is a reserve for all the humans, it can not be burned by the will of its owner, or its country. Burned Amazonia is as serious as unemployment caused by arbitrary decisions of global speculators.

We can not let that the financial reserves serves to burn down entire nations according to the whims of speculation. Even before Amazonia, I would like to see the internationalization of all the big museums around the world. The Louvre can’t only belong to France. Each museum of the world is guardian of the most beautiful peaces produced by human genius. We cannot let this cultural heritage, as the Amazonia natural heritage, be manipulated and treated by the style of its owner or country.

Not long ago, a Japanese millionaire, decided to bury with him a big master’s frame. Before it, this frame should have been internationalized. During this meeting, the United Nations are realizing the Millennium Forum, but presidents of several countries had difficulties in attending it by constraints on the U. S. border. Therefore, I think that New York, as headquarters of United Nations, should be internationalized. At least Manhattan should belong to the entire humanity.

Such as Paris, Veneza, Roma, Londres, Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia, Recife, each city, with its own beauty, its own history, should belong to the entire world. If the United Sates wants to internationalized Amazonia, due to the risk of letting it in a brazilian hand, let’s internationalized all U. S. ’s nuclear arsenals. Even because they have already proved they are capable to use these weapons, causing destruction thousands of times bigger than the deplorable burnings done in brazilians forests.

I support the idea of internalizing the world forests reserves in exchange for debt. Let’s beginning using this debt to guarantee that each child in the world will have the change to eat and go to school. Let’s internationalized the children, treating, all of them, regardless the country of their birth, as a heritage who deserves care from the entire world. As a humanist, I agree to defend the internationalization of the world. But, while the world treats me as a brazilian, I will fight for the Amazonia to be ours. Only ours! ”

Problem: The commoners appear to suffer disproportionately from problems related to alcohol abuse (such as absenteeism, drunkenness, and theft). This hinders the Posada Amazonas’ smooth operation and its ability to improve service quality and occupancy. In fact, in any given year, turnover can easily reach 50%, with as many as six people leaving.

Solutions: (1) Design and implement health-related programs to improve the well-being of the commoners. The community’s governing body will enact new rules and policies aimed at reducing alcohol abuse by, for example, passing resolutions prohibiting alcohol use among any employee of Posada Amazonas the day before any employee is scheduled to work. * Train a group of new community leaders to address substance abuse and other health issues facing the community. * Form committees to work on strategic plans addressing alcohol abuse.

By form coalitions, the community can work together to solve health issues. (2) Create activities in each of the following primary areas: * Public Awareness/Community-Wide Prevention.

Draw on native cultural traditions in the hopes that as people identify more with their heritage, they will be less likely to abuse alcohol or other substances. * Early Identification and Treatment. Create projects that seek to intervene with those at high risk. * Alcoholism Treatment and Aftercare. Focus on providing options for commoners returning from treatment, such as support groups and entering training programs. These programs will be funded by the net profit paid to the Ese’eja community by the Posada Amazonas project.

If turnover can be eliminated, Posada Amazonas could create a working team to ensure a smooth operation for the lodge. Problem: Posada Amazonas’ approach to integrating the lodge into the community and how it trains and prepares the commoners for their jobs needs to be reevaluated. Solution: Maintain and increase the commoners’ involvement and stake in the lodge. The commoners form an integral part of the community, although their customs and attitudes toward vary somewhat from those of Rainforest Expeditions.

This can be accomplished through:

• Revised training methods and participation of indigenous community members in all lodge positions that will be more in line with their culture and values.
• Community participation in all aspects of project design, management, and operations.
• Combining wildlife conservation, management, and research practices to develop local natural attractions.
• Monitoring and evaluation of the economic, ecological, and social impacts of tourism on the area and community
• Enhancing and preserving indigenous cultural values.

The Amazon rainforest is the largest tropical rainforest in the world which covers over five and half a million square kilometers. Over half of the Amazon is located in Brazil but also in South American countries; Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia, Guyana, Bolivia and Suriname. (Science Kids, 2013). During the past 40 years, 20% of the Amazon rainforest has been cut down, this percentage could be higher but was not put in account due to logging. this causes damage and shows that there is less seen cuts. Scientists says that 20% trees could be lost in the next two decades. (National Geographic, 1996)

The Amazon gets worse and worse every time it is observed. The main cause for this is deforestation. This investigation will show what is happening to the Amazon Region and what could be the management for it. Socially, the main cause for rainforest destruction is deforestation which is done by humans, who are at fault for it. Deforestation is the process of cutting down, damaging and burning a rainforest. Every year an area of a rainforest is cut down and destroyed. The plants and animals that used to live there die or adapt somewhere else.

There are many reasons are for wood, agriculture, land for poor farmers, cattle, paper, road construction and extraction of minerals and energy. In 2005 and 2010 the Amazon had the worst droughts ever recorded. Rivers dried up, communities were isolated and land was burned. The smoke interfered with transportation and blocked the formation of rain clouds. This burnt carbon dioxide and worsened the effects in climate change. The flooding of damns and wildfires destroy rainforest and migrants clear the land to keep some for themselves.

This shows that people don’t really care about how much damage is caused for the rainforest but only about themselves and the things they need to do. (SlideShare, 2013) This affects the rainforest because if people keep damaging the rainforest, there will be no rainforest left. Economically whats happening the Amazon is mostly because of logging, fires, mining, agriculture, cattle ranching and currency devaluation. The Amazon Rain forest is cleared out to raise cattle and to produce beef, this means that many different species of animals are losing their habitats and this leads to extinction.

The human population is growing faster and faster and this means we need more food. The Amazon is society’s best way of clearing out cattle to produce food. As the rainforest is losing its ability to stay green because of fires but this means that more trees, plants and parts of the forest are being killed. (SlideShare, 2013) One of the main causes of the rainforest destruction is logging. Many types of wood is used for the furniture, floor, constructions and tropical forests in Africa, Asia and South America.

When people buy certain wood products they are usually from the Amazon, this causes destruction of the Amazon Rainforest. Poor farmers in the world rely on clearing rainforest land to feed their families. Without access to better agriculture land most people burn and clear patches of forest land. Agricultural companies have started clearing more rainforest than before, specially in the amazon where places are converted into soybean farms. Apparently South America will have an area of farmland coming for the Amazon rainforest.

This means that it will cause more damage and destruction for the Amazon. (Mongabay. com, 2005). This affects everyone that like specific woods that come from the Amazon, because if tree’s keep getting cut down no one will get the furniture, floor or constructions they want. Scientist say 4C rise will kill 85% of the Amazon Rainforest, even small temperate would cause 20-40% within 100 years. Global warming will wreck attempts tom save the Amazon as, there is a prediction one-third of trees are killed by small temperature’s rises. (The Guardian, 2013)

This means that climate is a big issue in the Amazon and that it is affecting everything within in. If the climate continues killing the Rainforest, under 300 years the whole Amazon would be destroyed. There are possible strategies for a sustainable management for the Amazon rainforest. These include; Agro-forestry- growing tree’s and crops at the same times. This means that farmers can take advantage of shelters from canopy of trees. It will also prevent soil erosion. Selective logging- trees are cut down when they reach are particular height.

This allows young trees to have a longer life p. The forest will be fresh fore 30-50 years. Protect particular area’s from exploitation. This saves some wildlife and parts of the forest and does not let humans invade on them. Monitoring- use technology/photography to check no illegal activities take place and everything is in order. Afforestation- opposite of deforestation, if tree’s are cut they are replace to maintain the canopy. Education – make sure people who explore the Amazon understand their boundaries, actions and consequences. (Bitesize, 2013)

There are many different business trends shaping e-commerce today. For one, ecommerce remains the fastest growing form of commerce when compared to physical retain store, services, and entertainment. Another trend is that the online demographics of shoppers broaden to match those of ordinary shoppers. Also, small businesses and entrepreneurs continue to flood through the e-commerce marketplace, often riding on the infrastructures created by industry giants and increasingly taking advantage of cloud-based computing resources.

Lastly, pure e-commerce business models are refined further to achieve higher levels of profitability, whereas traditional retail brands use e-commerce to retain their dominant retail positions. 1b Name and describe three technology trends shaping e-commerce today. There are many different technology trends shaping e-commerce today. One technology trend is that wireless internet connections grow rapidly. Also, powerful handheld mobile devices support music, Web surfing, and entertainment as well as voice communication. Podcasting and streaming take off as mediums for distribution of video, radio, and user-generation content. c List and describe the eight unique features of e-commerce. There are eight different unique features of e-commerce today. First, ubiquity, which means that e-commerce is available everywhere; it is available at home, work, and elsewhere via mobile devices. Mobile devices extend service to local areas and merchants. Next, global reach makes e-commerce unique because technology can reach all the way around the Earth. E-commerce is also unique because of universal standards; there is one set of technology standards, namely internet standards, making communication between computer systems easy.

Richness is a unique quality because it makes video, audio, and text messages possible. They are integrated into a single marketing message and consumer experiment. Interactivity is unique because it allows the technology to work through interaction with the users. Another unique feature of e-commerce is information density because the technology reduces information costs and raises the quality. Personalization is a unique feature because the technology allows personalized messages to be delivered to individuals as well as groups.

Lastly, social technology is a unique feature of e-commerce because it allows the user to use social networking to share with personal friends, content of many different forms. 2a Name and describe the principal e-commerce business models. There are several principal e-commerce business models. E-tailer sells physical products directly to consumers or to individual businesses. Transaction brokers save users money and time by processing online sales transactions and generating a fee each time a transaction occurs.

The market creator business model provides a digital environment where buyers and sellers can meet, search for products, display products, and establish prices for those products. The content provider model creates revenue by providing digital content such as news, music, photos, or video over the Web. The customer can pay to access the content, or revenue may be generated by selling advertising space. A community provider provides an online meeting place where people with similar interests can communicate and find useful information.

The portal business model provides initial point of entry to the Web along with specialized content and other services. Lastly, a service provider provides Web applications such as photo sharing, video sharing, and user generated content as services. Other services are also provided such as online data storage and backup. 2b Name and describe the e-commerce revenue models. There are several different e-commerce revenue models that describe how the firm will earn revenue, generate profit, and produce a superior return on investment. The advertising revenue model is the most widely used revenue model.

In this model, a Web site generates revenue by attracting a large audience of visitors who can then be exposed to advertisements. In the sales revenue model, companies derive revenue by selling goods, information, or services to customers. In the subscription revenue model, a Web site offering content or services charges a subscription fee for access to some or all of its offerings on an ongoing basis. In the free revenue model, firms offer basic services or content for free, while charging a premium for advanced or special features.

In the transactions fee revenue model, a company receives a fee for enabling a transaction. Lastly, in the affiliate revenue model, Web sites send visitors to other Web sites in return for a referral fee or percentage of the revenue from any resulting sales. 3a How do social networking and “the wisdom of crowds” help companies improve their marketing. Social networking helps companies improve marketing because they link people through their mutual business or personal connections, enabling them to mine their friends for sales leads, job hunting tips, or new friends. The wisdom of crowds”, it is argued that a large number of people can make better decisions about a wide range of topics or products than a single person or a small group of experts. It helps improve marketing by suggesting that firms should consult with thousands of their customers first as a way of establishing a relationship with them and to better understand how their products and services are used and appreciated. 3b Define the social graph and explain how it is used in e-commerce marketing.

The social graph is a map of all significant online social relationships, comparable to a social network describing offline relationships. It is a small world that links people more tightly than they think. Overall, marking with social media is still in early stages and companies are experimenting in hopes of finding a winning formula. It is used to shape social networks, connecting people all over the world to businesses. 4 Explain how Internet technology supports business-to-business electronic commerce.

Internet technology supports business to business electronic commerce because it has potential to have trillions of dollars released for more productive uses, consumer prices would fall potentially, productivity would increase, and the economic wealth of the nation would expand. Business to business e-commerce refers to the commercial transactions that occur among business firms which flow through a variety of different Internet-enabled mechanisms. Transactions are automatically transmitted through networks, eliminating the printing and handling of paper. a List and describe important types of e-commerce services and applications. There are many important types of e-commerce services and applications. Location based services is built with a GPS and compass that can identify your precise location and where the phone is pointed. It can put adds on a website based on a person’s location and can allow business to market over the internet based on a person’s location. Banking and Financial services let customers manage their accounts from their mobile devices.

Mobile advertising and retailing is where companies can put ads on different aps for smartphones to advertise or have their own aps where a person can download and get coupons and deals just by walking into the store and logging into the application on their smartphone. Games and entertainment platforms are offered on Smartphones where a user can play games, watch TV or videos, etc. and connect to other game players and users all around the world. 5b Describe some of the barriers to e-commerce. There are a few barriers to e-commerce. One barrier is security concerns.

With this there are risks of identity theft, viruses, and much more that consumers are worried about because they do not want their information stolen, especially because the internet is so easily accessible. Another barrier through e-commerce is that over the internet, a consumer cannot tough and feel a product, such as a book. There are Kindle apps where you can virtually buy and read a book, but people like reading actual books in their hand. Education also acts as a barrier because with e-commerce, new processes are coming to the surface all of the time making employees having to adapt.

This is hard because a lot of people don’t want to change their ways. 6a List and describe each of the factors that go into the building of an e-commerce Web site. There are many factors that go into the building of an e-commerce Web site. First, a team has to be assembled with the right skills to make decisions about technology, site design, social and information policies, and hardware, software, and telecommunications infrastructure. The customer’s demands need to drive the site’s technology and design. The site can eight be built in-house or parts, if not all, of the site can be outsourced to be maintained.

With outsourcing, companies need to be aware of their Web-site budget and maintenance. 6b List and describe four business objectives of a typical e-commerce Web site. One business object of a typical e-commerce Web site is to display goods, meaning, making the goods and products easily accessible and viewable to consumers in order to be productive. Another is the objective of a personalized/customized product. This makes the seller stand out from other businesses, making their product stand out and be more appealing than others. This makes the customer want to purchase the unique product.

Businesses providing product information is another objective. Consumers do not want to purchase something that they know nothing about; therefore it is important to tell the customer what they need to know. Lastly, the objective of coordinating marking/advertising is important because companies need to advertise their product to consumers in order for them to want to purchase it. Without marketing, the product would not be known and less people would buy it because of this. 6c List and describe four system functionalities of a typical e-commerce Web site.

There are many different system functionalities of a typical e-commerce Web site. One is a product database, which is database of all of the company’s products, allowing the company to know how much they are selling and what they have in inventory. The shopping care and payment system functionality allows the user to put interesting items in their virtual shopping cart to purchase. Once they have finished shopping, they can view the total price, edit their order, and continue to check-out all over the internet. A site tracking and reporting system is a great function that allows the company to see who is purchasing what and from where.

This is a helpful tool that allows companies the ability to change their market audience to an audience closer to what the site tracking system is displaying. Lastly, a digital catalog is important for a site so consumers can see what exactly a company is selling or offering. 6d List and describe four information requirements of a typical e-commerce Web site. There are several information requirements of a typical e-commerce Web site. Product descriptions, stocking numbers, and inventory levels are important information to have because the business needs to know what and where their consumers are buying so it can be efficiently shipped.

Secure credit card clearing is important because consumers want to be able to trust a company with their purchasing information, knowing that the information will not be hacked leading to identity theft. The customer ID, product, date, payment, and shipment date is important for the company to have because it acts as a log of prior business and they can track profitability and productivity. The number of products purchased is important because the company needs to know if they are underestimating or overestimating their sales and must act accordingly.

Data continues to affirm Amazon.com’s dominance in the product-search industry. In fact, recent  reveal the Amazon  as the place most American consumers begin their product research. For entrepreneurs in the business of selling products, these trends are causing major shifts in product distribution and marketing.

Here are four reasons why Amazon’s growth in product search matters to you.

1. Amazon shoppers are ‘Primed’ to buy.

The more than  Amazon Prime  seek to extract maximum value from their $99 annual subscription fees. With each new item added to their carts, shoppers can further justify the benefits of participating in the program.

Even among non-Prime shoppers, Amazon’s  for free shipping can be as low as $25. Users can log in on any web-enabled device and then research and add items to their carts in a few taps or clicks. Over the course of a few seconds, minutes, hours or even days, customers can mix and match on their own terms. As new needs are identified, Amazon shoppers perform additional product searches and determine when an order is ready to be finalized. After an order is placed, this process repeats itself over and over, further cementing the affinity for Amazon.com.

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Compare the Amazon experience to the traditional search model, in which a shopper starts with an idea and could spend hours bouncing among various websites. One site might offer the product the consumer wants but at too high a price. Other sites might feature better pricing but could be temporarily out of stock. Still others might offer the right mix of product and pricing but ultimately fail to deliver a trustworthy checkout process.

For these and many other reasons, consumers are bypassing traditional search engines and turning to the Amazon marketplace for all their product research and acquisition needs.

2. SEO no longer is limited to traditional search engines.

For years, consultants have preached the importance of an optimized web presence across Google, Yahoo and Bing. While these search engines still are important to retail entrepreneurs, it’s also noteworthy to acknowledge the growth of .

Granted, most merchants have less control on the visibility of individual Amazon product listings. Amazon maintains tight control over most product details, particularly when multiple merchants share the Buy Box.

To make an impact, merchants are getting creative. Some common strategies include:

• Building  (or bundles), such as gift baskets
• Developing private-label products
• Asking for  through proactive solicitation

Amazon seeks to match searchers with the most relevant, trustworthy and sought-after products. Kitted products achieve this by filling a niche with convenience-minded shoppers. Private-label products offer additional choices for the consumer, often providing higher quality at lower prices. Product reviews reduce uncertainty and are the source of truly organic, original content.

Merchants who own the Buy Box on kits and private-label items can achieve a significant uptick in brand awareness among Amazon searchers. They’ll boost their stock even higher by requesting timely reviews from users who completed a purchase. As search traffic expands, savvy merchants position themselves to support the demand.

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3. Advertising allocations are shifting.

Search engine pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is very effective at driving traffic to a merchant’s website. The challenge involves convincing visitors to convert into paying customers.

Branding, user experience, web security and mobile friendliness all can influence a visitor’s willingness to buy. Taking this approach, merchants could spend thousands of dollars chasing only a few hundred dollars in initial sales.

As a result, an increasing number of merchants are shifting their advertising budgets toward an Amazon-centric orientation. With the success of the Amazon Sponsored Products , merchants can expose their listings to purchase-ready searchers. With each click, shoppers remain within the cozy confines of the Amazon marketplace, rather than being redirected to third-party websites. This approach delivers a more cohesive, convenient shopping experience — and generates traffic with higher conversion rates.

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4. Amazon search is leading to increased ‘webrooming.’

Several years ago, the term  became a common issue facing brick-and-mortar retail stores. A showrooming shopper enters a store, identifies the items he or she likes, compares prices online and then makes the transaction online (often via a smartphone). Locally owned businesses in particular have struggled with declining sales because of this phenomenon.

Given Amazon’s ever-increasing dominance, online stores are seeing the rise of the reverse problem: “webrooming.” In this scenario, shoppers spend hours reading online reviews for items they intend to purchase in person. Unlike showrooming, which certainly has challenged local retailers, webrooming’s impact on Amazon is uncertain at present.

For entrepreneurs in the retail industry, webrooming could have a number of interesting side effects. As an example, consider a regional chain of home-appliance stores. Sales of smaller items such as toasters, microwaves and replacement parts long ago evaporated to the web. But purchases of high-dollar or bulky items (think washers, dryers, water softeners and refrigerators) may now at least be shaped by online reviews. The same is true of any other product customers want to see before they buy.

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Business owners — brick and click alike — must remain vigilant. They need to proactively monitor how their products are perceived on the Amazon marketplace, in particular.

The takeaway: Merchants can leverage this growth opportunity.

As consumers shift more of their product research to the Amazon marketplace, product-focused entrepreneurs face several decisions. While it’s unwise to abandon all off-Amazon strategies, most merchants certainly could benefit from developing a strategy tailored for Amazon search. Diversification of SEO and PPC budgets also could prove to be a competitive advantage, especially when competitors stick to more obvious channels.