1B-+Commercial+Agriculture

Commercial Agriculture- By Tyler Puglisi Commercial agriculture is large-scale production of crops for sale, intended for widespread distribution to wholesalers or retail outlets. In commercial farming crops such as wheat, maize, tea, coffee, sugarcane, cashew, rubber, banana, cotton are harvested and sold into world markets. Generally forest clearers use slash-and-burn techniques to clear land, but on a much larger scale than traditional practices. Instead of burning a mere 2-10 acres (1-4 ha), agriculturalists burn hundreds to thousands of hectares. This slash-and-burn technique is generally wasteful since it is only occasionally that trees with timber value are removed before the forest is clear cut and left to dry. Following cutting, the area is burned to release nutrients locked up in vegetation and produce a layer of nutrient-rich material above the poor soils of the former tropical forest. The cleared area is quickly planted and supports vigorous growth for a few years, after which the nutrient stock is depleted and copious amounts of fertilizer are required to keep the operation viable. Fertilizer may be washed into local streams, affecting fish and aquatic life. The Industry Monsanto’s biotech tentacles are strangling our food system. The despicable behavior of this offensive corporation ranges from suing small family farmers like Percy Schmeiser (and bankrupting many through legal processes) to refusing to compensate veterans and families for exposure to Agent Orange where the chemical isestimated to have killed 400,000, deformed another 500,000, and stricken another 2 million with various diseases. Among the many things we can thank Monsanto for: artificial sweeteners linked to cancer; oil-based plastics like styrofoam that never biodegrade and release cancer-causing benzene into the environment for a thousand years; Agent Orange (the deadly chemical cocktail that the U.S. Army dumped over Vietman and now ends up in our food); genetically-modified (GMO) seeds, and the nasty Bovine Growth Hormone (BGH), a carcinogenic, artificial growth hormone that is injected into cows (prevalent in the U.S. and banned in all 27 countries of the EU, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia). Who is really affected? Preventing Deforestation in the Rainforest 1. Plant trees. While you won’t be replacing the Amazon rain forest in your own backyard, you can replace a small part of the oxygen that deforestation takes away. The more trees you plant, the more of the rain forest you replace in your own yard. Consider giving live trees as gifts and encouraging others to help fight deforestation. 2. Recycle everything you can, from books and paper to shopping bags. If your neighborhood has curbside recycling, start recycling your glass, paper and plastic. And if you really want to keep stuff out of the landslide, join your local FreeCycle® group and share stuff you don’t want with people who do. 3. Join environmental groups and get involved. Pay attention to what’s going oan and ask how you can take action and how you can own this issue and make it an important part of your life. 4. Avoid products that require trees to be cut down just for one product. For instance, in Indonesia and Malaysia, palm trees are cut down for palm oil. You may find palm oil in chocolate, breads, and some toothpastes and soaps. Read labels and don’t buy products that use palm oil. Over the course of a year, you might save a few trees. 5. Don’t use firewood in your fireplace, unless you use deadwood gathered in the forest (not cut). Use coals in your fireplace instead. Avoid cutting firewood unless you know the tree fell naturally, and you’ve been invited to take the wood away. Their Saviors Greenpeace Fund is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization set up to continue the vital work of Greenpeace by increasing public awareness and understanding of environmental issues through research, the media, and other educational programs. Greenpeace Fund also provides grants to support Greenpeace's work around the world for activities that are consistent with its mission. Your generous support of Greenpeace Fund will enable us to stop global warming, defend our oceans and forests and protect our environment from nuclear disasters and toxic pollution. ||
 * Greenpeace is the largest independent environmental organization in the world. We do not take any money from industry or government - our only bottom line is a green and peaceful future.