The United States was also very much economically dependent on the old-growth conifer forests of the Pacific Northwest during the period of heavy deforestation that occurred there. This dependence was not as total as Brazil's is, due to the sheer size of the country and abundance of other resources in the nation, but during the development of the nineteenth century especially the lumber that the old -- growth forests provided -- as well as the land that was used for farming once the trees had been cleared -- were vital elements of the continuing expansion of the nation (Foster 1991). Brazil is experiencing its own era of rapid economic expansion in the current era, and limiting its deforestation would limit this growth potential.
In this light, it becomes difficult to see how the United States or anyone living there can simply ask Brazil to stop the massive deforestation of its rainforests when it benefited in a far similar way from the deforestation of its old-growth forests in the Pacific Northwest. This does not mean that such a request is without merit, however, and in fact there is a very simple way for the United States to make this request appear more reasonable. Instead of simply protesting the deforestation, methods for achieving the same economic growth and expansion without necessitating the destruction of the rainforests should be developed and...
This would show that the people of the United States have actually learned form their mistakes, and are not simply giving commands to other sovereign nations but are truly trying to help them avoid the same pitfalls.
For much of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, economic progress was almost entirely at odds with environmental stewardship. This was certainly the case in the deforestation of both the old-growth conifer tests in the Pacific Northwest by the people of the United States, just as it is the case with the continued deforestation of the Brazilian rainforest. Economic growth does not need to remain at odds with environmental awareness, however, now that humanity is better equipped with the knowledge of how to protect the environment, and if the United States offers true assistance rather than instruction saving the rainforests can be profitable, too.
References
Butler, R. (2008). "Deforestation in the Amazon." WSPA. Accessed 21 July 2010. http://www.mongabay.com/brazil.html
Foster, J. (1991). "Capitalism and the ancient forest - battle over old growth forest in the Pacific Northwest." CBS MoneyWatch. Accessed 21 July 2010. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1132/is_n5_v43/ai_11489365/
