Resource Management Project

Project Description: For this project we had to choose a resource which we believed was being mismanaged or exploited in the world. We had to research the causes to the probelm and also come up with our own solution to solve the issue. This project had three main components which were a research paper, a letter to an elected official, and an abstract. We also had to present about our issue infront of an audience during exibition night.
Abstract:
The resource that is being exploited is forests in Madagascar. Currently there are many causes to why so many forests are being cut down such as for logging, fuel wood and charcoal production, and slash and burn agriculture. The largest contributor of deforestation has been the slash and burn agriculture. Slash and burn is the process of converting rainforests into rice fields. This is usually down by cutting down an acre of trees, setting fire to them, and then planting rice. There have been laws in Madagascar against slash and burn agriculture since the late 19th century created by the French colonists, but as industries and demand increased it became very hard to enforce these laws. Another law that has been created is to stop logging for timber in protected areas. Illegal logging is difficult to enforce, and also becoming a significant problem because of the high amounts of money loggers can earn on the international market. These laws were developed in order to protect and the forests of Madagascar, and also to help control the amount of forests destroyed/conserved each year. The only way to stop the deforestation going on in Madagascar is to increase the amount of enforcement. In recent years with the election of new Malagasy president Ravalomanana, environmental issues have improved, but because Madagascar’s economy is in such bad shape, it will need international help in order to stop deforestation. My solution is to write a letter to a member of congress and also to educate and inform members of our society by having a rally and passing out pamphlets.
Letter to Senator:
Hello, my name is Leila Shirey and I am a senior at High Tech High International. Environmental issues are something I care deeply about because I have a lot of love and respect for nature and animals. Currently the issue of deforestation is a growing issue affecting many countries especially Madagascar.
Deforestation in Madagascar is a very dire issue. It is estimated that 90% of the rainforest in Madagascar are already lost, and if nothing is done about the amount of trees being cut down then all of the rainforests will be gone within the next 40 years. Also because Madagascar is an island that is isolated from other countries it is home to many endemic species that are found nowhere else in the world. This issue is not something that can be put off or ignored, because if it is, both the animals and rainforests in Madagascar will go in extinct. Since Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world, and also relies on the resource of rainforests for their economy, there is not much the Malagasy government can do to solve this problem.
That is why Madagascar needs international help so that it can have a stable economy and also preserve its rainforests. America needs provide aid to the Malagasy government so that in return for our money they can save their rainforests. The U.S. government should do a better job of educating the American people about our environmental issues so that we are not left ignorant about what is happening in our world. Thank you for taking the time to read my letter and listen to my opinions.
Sincerely,
Leila Shirey