The Solomon Islands and the Problem of Sustainability :: Environment Resources Essays

The Solomon Islands and the Problem of Sustainability Introduction In the South Pacific near Australia and Fiji lies another potential tale of natural resources lost, ecosystems destroyed, and species becoming extinct all due to man. The Solomon Islands are at the core of this story. These islands are in danger of losing some of their capital (social, economic, and natural). This potential loss of capital comes from mans short term thinking. In todays world of an everything quick and fast, mentality, lies one heart of the Solomon Islands problem. Nature and all of its many resources do not mix well with profits and greed in terms of long term sustainability. In order to sustain nature, serious management from its users is required. Unfortunately this management is not used or does not create profits for the many companies investing in the Solomon Islands. The Solomon Islands are threatened because of their limited natural resources they have to offer for revenue. The Solomon Islands receive one half of their gross domestic product from agriculture, fisheries, and forestry, and over 55% of the islands exports were wood (web page Solomon Islands). The Solomon Islands sell this wood to companies for a profit. However, this resource is not infinite. The trees have to be allowed to regenerate or else the product will disappear along with the revenue. The common sense approach allows for re-growth of the trees, but this is exactly what is not happening in the Solomon Islands. As written by Nicola Baird in her article "Unwisdom of the Solomons", Baird says that the sustainable rate of harvest of wood is 325,000 cubic meters per year. However Baird continues that the government of the islands has given logging permits to cut 4 million cubic meters per year. The Solomons are taking downtrees faster than they can regrow. Profits are continuing, but only for a few more years. The future of the islands wood supply is forecasted to be depleted in the next 15 years (web page Solomon Islands). In the meantime, the tropical forest disappears at an alarming rate which fattens the pocket book with money but steals money form mother natures pocket book. Loss of trees causes a chain reaction of destr uction in the Islands. Taking trees takes homes of many species, which in turn causes their death.