Ecological destruction of the Amazon

Amazon has changed, tell the ECO coordinator of Greenpeace's campaign Antario Paulo, in a modern Wild West. «People who come here trying to make as fast as money can, to leave the region soon.» So, illegal loggers succeed in recent years, soybean growers.
The result? The rainforest last year fell by 26,130 square kilometers!

the rainforest of the Amazon, the «lung» warming, declined in the past year by 26,130 square kilometers because of deforestation. The period August 2003 - August 2004 was the second worst year for the Amazon since it began to measure the disaster. The negative record occurred between 1994-1995, during which destroyed 29,050 square miles of forest.

Recently, the Brazilian government announced that it plans to ban the felling of six months to a year in order to slow the destruction. The ban does not apply in the case of companies with the necessary documents for responsible forestry.

The economic crisis in Brazil has turned the Lula government to growing soybeans. In addition, the mafia who wins the «use» (see destruction) of the Amazon has created a climate of terror in the region.

According to campaign coordinator for Greenpeace in the Amazon, Paulo Antario, the problem of destruction of the rainforest began three decades ago, illegal logging and the seizure of public land. The loggers can cut as much wood before the competent bodies to take control prevent, impose fines and confiscate their equipment. Open roads in the forest where «clean» one area, move to another. Then take action by farmers cows and soybean growers, who use the roads opened by loggers and installed in the already devastated by loggers areas.


«Soy has been the main cause of deforestation the past year. A new risk emerged in the last three to four years », points out Paulo Antario. Soybeans are the main agricultural product exported by Brazil, mainly to the markets of China and Europe and last year returned to the country 10 billion U.S. dollars! With the emergence of mad cow disease, its demand has increased huge, and the rich countries frequently ask for meat from cows fed with soy instead of animal feedstuffs. With the development of technology, scientists have found ways to produce different varieties of soybean to low latitudes in the Amazon region. This has attracted producers from the southern part of Brazil where land is very expensive. Selling their land, producers gathered a lot of money and bought vast areas in the Amazon (in some areas even one hectare of public land sold illegally for three dollars!). Eventually, the producers of soybeans stopped settling in areas already ravaged by loggers and began to convert from direct areas of forest to crop.
What happens when a tree is lost in the Amazon


Dozens of species of fauna (invertebrates-insects, spiders, worms-and vertebrate animals - from frogs to birds and mammals) and flora (klimatis, epiphyte, orchids, creepers) hosted on each tree in the Amazon. He has shown such that a tree can host up to 72 species of ants. It all these species depend on the tree to find food. When therefore it is cut or burned, most species of the animal before leaving completely destroyed. Others live and die.


As a species based on others for food and shelter but also to play, the destruction of one could lead to disruption of the reproductive process and the difficulty of foraging in a number of other species. «If all this happens when a tree is lost», we were told by Greenpeace, «imagine what can happen when trees are lost every 29 minutes, as was the period from August 2003 to August 2004!»

Amazon numbers

• The scope is 4 million square kilometers, of which the rainforest occupies 3.3 million square kilometers. The rest consists of Savannah and other ecosystems.
• Nine countries are crossing the Amazon: Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, French Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela. Brazil has the largest part.
• 6.848 kilometers are along the Amazon River, along which the distance New York - Berlin.
• 15.000 around rivers cross the Amazon forest.
• In the Amazon region is 20% water the whole world, 30% of the biodiversity of the planet, around 5,000 recognized species of trees, 300 recognized species of mammals, more than 1,300 recognized species of birds, from 2500 to 3000 species, 10 to 15 million species of insects, 21 million people and over 400 different indigenous tribes.
• In one hectare of tropical forest are over 200 species of trees.
• Echoun recognized in the Amazon region 650 species of plants with medicinal properties and economic value.
• 57 threatened species including the jaguar (Jaguar), living in the Amazon.

How to reduce stress in your environment

Many factors of our environment can cause us stress. We must be able to recognize these factors and to remove.

Our life is accompanied by numerous factors that can cause us stress. So whenever we can neutralize some, it is better to do.

What factors in our everyday environment that can cause us stress and we can remove them?

Let's see with the main culprits and what we can do to neutralize them:

1. The air quality in areas where we are.

The air quality in places where we waste most of our time at home or at work plays an important role in our quality of life. It is important to those places, good ventilation and air filters that help reduce the stress we caused.

There are organic compounds from cleaning, upholstery, carpets, adhesives as well as chemicals from photocopiers that can contribute to poor air quality in the area where we are.

In extreme cases, the lack of good air quality can cause physical illness. Usually caused cough and sore throat.

The air humidity also plays a role. The very dry or very humid air causing a nuisance. The regulation of air humidity or by removing moisture with specific regulators or by adding moisture and even by putting some plants contribute to air is the space we are more comfortable.

If the air in our work and our home is not good we can take steps to improve. In the workplace can be installed well ventilation or air cleaning. At home in the regular opening of windows to improve air quality.

2. Noise.

The cause unwanted noise is increasing stress. It can change for the worse mental mood and reduces our energy.

Any form of noise can be annoying in certain circumstances. In the office the phones useless noise, people talking loudly, several machines or devices causing a background of continuous increase of stress. At home, television, radio and other sources of noise contribute to the genesis of stress.

For these reasons, whenever possible, we must take steps to reduce unwanted noise. They use buffers, dividers, carpets, curtains to reduce noise. It also can be designed quiet rooms or areas to take place there, considerable work needs more concentration.

3. The color.

The colors play a role in mood and level of our energy. The red color is associated with feelings of anger or aggression. Other colors such as green are compatible with sleeping and blue with the calm.

Certainly the choice of color is a personal matter. But whenever possible, it is good to choose the corresponding colors and shades and shadows, which reduce our stress and make us feel more comfortable.

4. The clutter and the arrangement of furniture.

Do not hesitate to throw away and remove anything that is absolutely necessary in the area you work or live. The unneeded accumulated a source of loss of time and energy. It is also an important reason clutter.

Retaining only those necessary for operation, you achieve a better order and cleanliness. We lose precious time and not bothering because you want something and never find it.

The arrangement of furniture in your space can substantially contribute to your mental peace. Overcrowding causing tension and so do not load your environment with furniture that is not absolutely necessary.

The result is that you will feel more comfortable, more relaxed, less unnecessary stress.

5. The working space in your computer.

Many of us now spend long periods working in a computer. It is very important to pay particular attention to location and at our work with our computer.

The intensity in his eyes, damage due to repetitive motions, back pain, muscle tension, neck pain, headaches can be reduced as much as possible if we create a proper, ergonomic workplace.

If we can do a good job in an appropriate location then increasing productivity and substantially reduce stress.

6. Remove tobacco smoke.

Chronic exposure to tobacco smoke, accumulates in the body many toxins. They are cause of many diseases.

Apart from the diseases they cause, tobacco toxins are an important environmental factor that increases unhealthy stress.

7. Create your own personal space.

At work or at home, create, if possible, your own personal space for you to recede and to remove factors that increase your mental strength.

If you can not create limitations that geographically separate site, try even a simple partition as plants or some furniture to get some form of isolation.

In your room you can relax, think or do important work that requires more concentration. This space can allow you to collect your strengths and increase your energy.

Air pollution: causes serious damage to health

Environmental pollution threatens more than ever our health. The contamination of the air we breathe every day, constantly increasing.

It is estimated that air pollution is the cause 24,000 premature deaths of thousands in the UK each year. Also for every 10 deaths due to lung cancer, one due to ambient air pollution.

Air pollution due to exhaust from cars, according to 2000 figures, is responsible for 6% of all deaths annually in France, Austria and Switzerland. Toxic substances released by motor vehicles are responsible for at least 500.000 asthma attacks and more than 25,000 new cases of chronic bronchitis annually in those countries.

There are serious concerns that the threat to human health from air pollution in cities is greater than the risk of smoking.

The main toxic substances that pollute the air and threaten human life include carbon monoxide, lead, benzene, nitrogen dioxide and small particles that can penetrate the lungs.
Unfortunately more and more evidence comes to light showing the damage caused to our health from toxic substances that pollute the air in the atmosphere.

Indeed it seems that the negative effects of polluted air is very serious not only in adults and children. Even worse, the impact of toxic substances causing serious diseases affecting children before it is born, that the damage caused by the embryonic stage.

Pregnant women who breathe during pregnancy, two of the most common harmful substances that contaminate the ambient air are more likely to give birth to children who have severe cardiac anatomical abnormalities.
In this momentous conclusion comes from an epidemiological survey made doctors and scientists from the University of California at Los Angeles. This is the first time that a well designed and serious study documents the fact that toxic substances in environmental air cause birth defects in children.

The toxic substances were studied as ozone and carbon dioxide.

These substances, when increased in the atmosphere affect the pregnant woman and cause the greatest harm to the fetus especially during the second trimester of pregnancy.

The second trimester of pregnancy is crucial to the formation of the heart. The higher the concentration of these substances in the air resulting in increased exposure of pregnant women were both found to be higher risk for cardiac abnormalities in children.

Researchers believe after the above findings, that there should be different kinds of toxic elements in polluted environmental air, which cause damage to fetuses.

Carbon monoxide is a product of combustion and is emitted into the atmosphere mainly from cars or from different plants. It is colorless and odorless and can be understood by humans.

The ozone level is in the air we breathe is produced by photochemical reactions after various other toxic substances with ultraviolet rays.

The researchers believe that not only ozone and carbon monoxide are responsible. The increased concentration of both gases simultaneously accompanied by increased concentrations of other toxic substances can have unhealthy effects at the institutions of the developing embryo.

The forms of heart disease observed are severe anatomical abnormalities, on the inner walls of the heart valves, the pulmonary arteries and aorta.

Most children with this type of defects, should undergo open heart surgery early in life.

What is quite worrying is that the pregnant woman has no way to control or avoid the toxic substances contained in the air we breathe.

While other morbid factors (smoking, alcohol, drugs), take measures and to avoid, in the case of polluted air can not easily do.

We would stress that although this research, could qualify for criticism for various reasons, it is an alarm bell that calls us to be very careful about the pollution of the atmosphere.

Certainly the research we present today, not enlighten us on the other morbid factors accompanying carbon monoxide and ozone in the atmosphere and are likely to be the main cause of defects. Even research has limitations because not analyzed other risk factors that can affect the organogenesis in embryos.
But the correlation found, consistent with other studies which showed that toxic substances found in the air we breathe, causing premature births and low birth weight children. Also cause abnormalities in the lungs in older children.

Conclusion will highlight the risks that may have contaminated the air for pregnant women and especially for the developing fetus.

We need vigilance and control of air pollution due to the serious consequences that may be in the general population, particularly in fetuses and children.

Global Climate changes and our health

The warming of our planet is a serious threat to our health. Climate changes resulting in the spread of certain communicable infectious diseases.
It has also observed that other diseases, cardiac, vascular, neurological, Respiratory and professional, have increased due to increased global warming.
The increase in global temperature caused by increased release of carbon dioxide (CO2). It has been observed and measured that over the past 30 years there is a steady increase in the release of carbon dioxide, produced by using different types of fuels and other industrial activities.

This results in the creation of greenhouse gases. The increase in temperature by 0.3 to 0.6 degrees Celsius over the last 100 years, has led to warming of the atmosphere, melting glaciers and the rise of sea level.

Scientists from the University School of Medicine in New York in a recent research note that the deaths and illnesses will increase because of continued warming of the earth. This phenomenon results in changes to existing habitats through direct threats to health.

Even predicted that there will be more natural disasters because the changes in the climate. In tropical areas will increase because of global warming and as will change and vegetation.

Infectious communicable diseases will increase due to the changes observed in microorganisms and bacteria that grow and adapt to new weather conditions.

The life cycle of certain microbes change the global warming. Already there are fears of further spread of diseases transmitted by mosquitoes (malaria) and rodents. Not impossible to re-diseases that had previously fought effectively.

The loss of ozone in the atmosphere has been associated with increased susceptibility to infections. The global warming may cause an increase germs and bacteria. The combination of these two phenomena will lead to increased infections.

Human activity is causing serious environmental damage. The loss of ozone and the increase in temperature phenomena is unfortunately continuing. The biological effects of these phenomena are unpredictable and the negative impact can have devastating effects on humans.

Several international and national organizations like the UN promote research, monitor and evaluate the situation in this area. The Kyoto Protocol has set some targets (such as a reduction of 7% of the liberation of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere over the next 10 years) to be achieved through international cooperation.

Green, clean air environment.

Plants emerge in a valuable tool to «fight» for environmental protection and especially in reducing air pollution indoors.

The love that people show to plants and the need arising from it to «decorate» space modeling of a more friendly environment, essentially offering the most to improve the quality of life both personally and in the workplace .

As shown by recent studies, indoor plants are a major «tool» to combat increasing levels of air pollution.

Indeed, much research of NASA has shown that indoor plants are not only decorative, but have the amazing ability n 'soak contaminated harmful gases and cleaning the air in modern buildings with substances such as formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, gasoline and cigarette smoke.

In addition, the plants act beneficial to the fact that:
-function as «systems» cleaning and ventilation,
-a regulatory factor of humidity in the area,
-cool the air in hot weather,
- «Absorb» the foliage noise
-reduce the influence of electromagnetic fields and static electricity from electronic and electrical devices that surround us.

The carpets, furniture, machinery, electrical and electronic appliances and adhesives are the objects that emit, vaporising, organic chemicals in the air. Indoor chemicals were able to land and are responsible for wide spread phenomenon of «sick building syndrome», which manifests itself in many ways, such as allergic reactions, sneezing, respiratory irritation (stinging eyes and irritation neck).

For economic reasons, modern homes designed to have high insulation sealed environment. Result, modern synthetic materials used in their manufacture, emit toxic organic chemicals, which remain at ground lack of ventilation.

Sources of air pollution indoors
Main sources of indoor environment posed by the benzene, formaldehyde and trichlorethylene.

The benzene, a common diluent is contained in products such as ink, oils, paints, plastics, rubber, detergents, dyes, tobacco smoke and synthetic fibers.
Similarly, formaldehyde, a disinfectant and therapeutic substance found in products such as chipboard, paper bags are the foil, and various plastics are used as fixatives and adhesives.

Trichlorethylene, a commercial product for industrial use, contained in metal, disinfectants, dry-cleaning products, printing ink, glaze, varnishes, adhesives.

What plants are effective in combating pollution
The most efficient plants in removing formaldehyde, benzene and carbon monoxide from the indoor environment, according to the study by NASA:

Chamaidorea (chamaedorea seifritzii)
Aglaonema (aglaonema modestum)
Ivy (hedera helix)
Zerbera Margarita (gerbera jamesonil)
Dracaena «Janet Graig» (dracaena janet craig)
Dracaena marginata (dracaena marginata)
Masantziana Dracaena (dracaena massangeana)
Sanseveria (sansevieria laurentil)
Chrysanthemum (chrysantheium morifolium)
Spathiphyllum (spathiphyllum «mauna loa»)
Dracaena «Warneckil» (dracaena «warneckil»)
Chrysanthemums (especially the chrysanthemum varieties that bloom in autumn and have a few petals) and Zerbera are plants that have the highest absorption of pollutants.

The Zerbera is suitable for indoor use, requires bright light and during growth and flowering temperatures 20-24 degrees Celsius, while the chrysanthemum grows both indoors and outdoors, is resistant to relatively low temperatures, requires moderate lighting, spraying the leaves, moderate watering and temperatures 10-18 degrees Celsius.

Lower, but equally important, absorption of pollutants are plants such as Dracaena masantziana the chamaidorea the Spathiphyllum and ivy. The ogress thrives in well drained soil and withstand shady places and in any corner of the home and office, while chamaidorea (dwarf bamboo species with white flowers) is a hardy plant, does not want special attention and develops easily.

The Spathiphyllum withstand shady places and in any corner of the home and office, while appropriate for indoor use are mikrofylles ivy varieties that grow well in pots and are resistant to low temperatures to -20 degrees Celsius