Rainforest

the first International Conference on Sustainable Development in Brazil

"The fires [across Brazil] are destroying the homes of Indigenous tribes, threatening millions of animals, and even darkening the skies over major cities.

Similar to the United States and Canada—where wildfires are typically caused by humans—the fires in the Amazon are nearly all man-made.

While the bulk of the Amazon remains intact, the increasing rate of deforestation and fires could have dire consequences for the rainforest and the world, especially as global temperatures continue to rise.

Spanning more than 2 million square miles across northern South America, the Amazon is the world's largest rainforest and is home to millions of plants and animals, ranging from poison dart frogs to jaguars. This abundance of life is vital to the survival of human societies, providing everything from raw materials to functioning ecosystems.

The fires in the Amazon have escalated into a global political crisis, with millions of people taking to social media—and the streets—to demand action against the fires." Phys.org

Purpose

Welcome to the first International Conference on Sustainable Development in Brazil. We would like to thank you and your team for coming to discuss this global crisis.

As a global village, we are concerned about the problems facing countries in the Amazon basin. Our goal is to discuss and propose some possible measures that could reduce the ecological imbalances in the region and allow the area to begin to recover. Please make sure, wherever possible, to quantify impacts and factors and be as specific as possible about the mechanisms and processes that create the effects we are discussing.

Conference Agenda

What are characteristics of the rainforest biome…
- Climate
- Biodiversity
- Resources – Biotic and Abiotic (soil quality, oxygen, carbon dioxide, water, etc…)
What is slash and burn?
- How does it work?
- How pervasive is it and why is it such an important contributor to rainforest destruction?
- What are the main issues created by slash and burn methods?
What other factors contribute to rainforest destruction? How do they work and how important are they (what is the scope of their impact)?
- Harvesting of rainforest products?
- Other factors?
What are the overall effects on the earth of rainforest destruction?
- Loss of biodiversity?
- Climate change?
- Soil damage (including flooding, erosion, etc. …)?
What is sustainable agriculture? How does it work? Can it work in the rainforest? How?
What are some of the major economic issues that impact rainforest policies?
- How much slash and burn farming is there? Who is doing how much of it (large conglomerates, small farmers, other?)
- What is the value of the resources being harvested from the rainforest each year? What are the main products and how much do they contribute to the total? How much of this harvest is exported? Who are the main buyers?
What can and should be done?

Presentation Roles

A rainforest ecologist from the University of Kal
A Slash and Burn Farming expert from the Rainforest Action Network
A sustainable agriculture expert from the Rainforest Agricultural Alliance
An international policy analyst from the University of Sao Paolo

Your Presentation:

Your team may divide up its roles in any equitable fashion you choose and individuals may take on more than one role, but please make sure that all group members contribute substantially. You can define roles as necessary for the best presentation possible.

Helpful Links to Start Your Research

These links have been reported by KAMSC students as helpful for their research. They are listed in no particular order.

Remember, this list is not all inclusive - it is just a starting point. You will be asked at the end of this project to report your own "top five" links to assist future KAMSC students. Please report any broken or inactive links to your teacher.