Date: Fri, 14 Nov 1997 14:04:41 -0500
From: james m blaut <70671.2032-AT-CompuServe.COM>
Subject: Re: M-I: Global warming


Mark and Carrol and Rakesh:

The following is dead wrong:

Mark: "I'm sure this 100 % the case. Deforestation because of woodcutting
for fuel by subsistence agriculturalists is by itself a major cause of
global warming"

Fuelwood is not part of the problem except in a few insignificant places --
and we are talking about GLOBAL warming. Fuelwood generally is collected
from old slash, from thorn bush, etc. I have never heard of forest being
cut down for fuelwood, although it may happen.

More broadly, "subsistence" farmers (in quotes because no farmer anywhere
in the world is totally divorced from the market) do not burn substantial
amounts of forest for ANY purspose, including shifting agriculture. They
really have nothing to do with the problem of deforestation.

Look elsewhere: mainly at capitalist cattle enterprisies, burning off
forest in order to enlarge the area of  rough pasture and thus allow more
cattle and hence more $$$, but also at some capitalist agricultural
enterprises which burn off large tracts in order to plant them with
commercial crops.

Is this Blame the Peasant Month?

I'll respond to Rakesh's laughably absurd pesudo-arguments when I get a bit
of time to do so.

En lucha

Jim B  


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