Multi-National Corporations By Harry Stone-Brown & George Riddick

The Things We Will Be Talking About Why are we cutting down trees? What is the conflict in Brazil's tropical rainforest? Why are your group involved in the conflict? What is their position as regards the rainforest ie is it a source of income, a precious natural resource, their home? etc What are the problems for your group eg what problems do the tribal people face in the rainforests of Brazil? What are the benefits for your group?

Why are we cutting down trees?  We are cutting down trees so we can put, cattle in so they can graze.  We then take the cattle and use them as meat for the burgers at MacDonald's restaurants.

Logging Logging tropical hardwoods like teak, mahogany, rosewood, and other timber for furniture, building materials, charcoal, and other wood products is big business and big profits. Logging tropical hardwoods like teak, mahogany, rosewood, and other timber for furniture, building materials, charcoal, and other wood products is big business and big profits. Several species of tropical hardwoods are imported by developed counties, including the United States, just to build coffins that are then buried or burned. Several species of tropical hardwoods are imported by developed counties, including the United States, just to build coffins that are then buried or burned.

Fuel Wood and the Paper Industry In addition to being logged for exportation, rainforest wood stays in developing countries for fuel wood and charcoal. In addition to being logged for exportation, rainforest wood stays in developing countries for fuel wood and charcoal. One single steel plant in Brazil making steel for Japanese cars needs millions of tons of wood each year to produce charcoal that can be used in the manufacture of steel. Then, there is the paper industry. One single steel plant in Brazil making steel for Japanese cars needs millions of tons of wood each year to produce charcoal that can be used in the manufacture of steel. Then, there is the paper industry. One pulpwood project in the Brazilian Amazon consists of a Japanese power plant and pulp mill. To set up this single plant operation, 5,600 square miles of Amazon rainforest were burned to the ground and replanted with pulpwood trees. One pulpwood project in the Brazilian Amazon consists of a Japanese power plant and pulp mill. To set up this single plant operation, 5,600 square miles of Amazon rainforest were burned to the ground and replanted with pulpwood trees. This single manufacturing plant consumes 2,000 tons of surrounding rainforest wood every day to produce 55 megawatts of electricity to run the plant. This single manufacturing plant consumes 2,000 tons of surrounding rainforest wood every day to produce 55 megawatts of electricity to run the plant.

Grazing Land As the demand in the Western world for cheap meat increases, more and more rainforests are destroyed to provide grazing land for animals. As the demand in the Western world for cheap meat increases, more and more rainforests are destroyed to provide grazing land for animals. In Brazil alone, there are an estimated 220 million head of cattle, 20 million goats, 60 million pigs, and 700 million chickens. In Brazil alone, there are an estimated 220 million head of cattle, 20 million goats, 60 million pigs, and 700 million chickens.

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