Deforestation
This
print is about deforestation. The basis for the print is a photo I made in 1975
at the edge of the concession we cleared for the establishment of Estate number
three adding another three thousand odd acres to the 20.000 established acres
of the LAC in Liberia. It was early in the morning
and there was still some cool mist around to create the coulisse effect. I used
separate blocks for every layer. I guess a reduction print would have been
possible as well.
To
return to the deforestation; It is simple to shout from the roofs not to cut
the forests down. The issue has been around for centuries when even the French
and British Governments issued edicts to curb cutting of forests, partly as a
result of their fleet building efforts (or to protect it). They looked
elsewhere e.g. in Scandinavia. So nothing new under the sun. All what changes are
locations, methods, speed, needs and excuses.
Just
to pose one issue. It’s a simple scenario. Take for argument sake 50.000 acres
of prime forest. It supports a small community which sustains itself with
hunting and shift cultivation. They are miles from some form of civilization.
Child mortality is high. Now a government allows logging to go ahead. It upsets
the balance. Then a concession is issued for that same acreage to be used as a
plantation of some sort. Nothing wrong with that per se. The canopy of the
forest is substituted with a canopy of Rubber or Oil palm or whatever with
cover crop in between.
Nothing to get nervous about. With it comes a
bit of civilization. A store, a dispensary, transport to hospital facilities
and all of a sudden the place is rocking but all what those people know at the
end of the day is still, yes you guessed it .... shift cultivation. So what
land and forest remains gets abused big time.
So what is the answer going to be and who is
going to deliver? It’s the old story of giving a man not the fish but the net
to catch the fish with to feed his family. What is the instrument going to be?
Their own Government? Through education? You see this is just one aspect and no
doubt some will shoot holes through this argument as well. Plantation timber perhaps?
All images copyright © to acw ten broek
|
