The Vanishing Amazon

Course Description

Will the world's lagest rainforest disappear in your lifetime? What are the implications of this loss? This FSP explores the causes of deforestation while developing a greater appreciate for Amazonian biodiversity, human ecology, and indigenous cultures. Readings will highlight contemporary controversies that play out locally and internationally, such as: why conserve animal species when poverty remains widespread? How does forest loss contribute to global climate change? How do consumer behaviors in the United States help or hurt Amazonian conservation efforts?