Rainforest Destruction in Brazil

     I think that the picture showing the the rainforest being burned down was the most effective. The picture was taken in Brazil. There is a large thick cloud of smoke hanging over the remains of many trees. The photo makes me think about all the undiscovered plants and animals that were lost in the fire. Many of our pharmaceutics come from plants. One of the plant species that was destroyed could contain a compound that could treat an otherwise incurable disease. The picture combined with the writing makes it look like burning the rainforest is a huge waste of some very precious commodities. 

     I feel that the strongest passage was when the author estimated what the could happen to the rainforest in the future. "Within forty years the entire Amazon rainforest could disappear entirely, and with it the last 200,000 indigenous tribespeople- a population decimated from the estimated ten million who lived there five centuries ago- in addition to a massive loss of biodiversity as plants and animals become extinct." I like this passage because it helps give the audience a somewhat concrete idea of what could happen. It is hard for people to imagine exactly how much destruction there is when it is being measured in acres. It is very easy for people to understand when it is clearly stated that all of the Amazon rainforest could be destroyed. 

     I like nature because it is complex and beautiful. The diversity of nature is amazing. There are also many things that are still unknown about nature. There are biological processes that we don't understand or have never seen. The mystery of it makes it interesting.