With millions of starving people, many are probably wondering why deforestation is the number one problem Haiti is facing. Shouldn’t this blog be focusing on the economy of Haiti?  Let’s talk economics.  In order to feed a population in a lesser developed country, agriculture should be the most utilized sector of the economy.  By increasing crop yields supply increases causing the price to decrease as shown in the chart below.

While this chart refers to the increase of crop yield from GMOs (and that’s not what we’re talking bout) the chart would be the same for a simple increase regardless of whether or not GMOs were used.  For those of you who have a hard time understanding economics, let me break it down for you.  Let the current crop yield be represented by S (supply).  Assuming the population remains constant, the demand (D) would not change, but the increase of crop yield would cause the supply (S) to change. The change in supply is represented by S’. Since the supply would increase and demand would stay the same, the equilibrium constant would shift causing the quantity to increase and the price to decrease. This supply and demand chart shows the equilibrium constant between D and S as a set price and quantity.  If the supply increases, then the new equilibrium constant is found where D and S’ meet.  The increase in supply, as shown in the chart, results in the equilibrium constant falling on a lower price, but a higher quantity; therefore, there would not only be more food, but it would be cheaper.  Cheaper food means more full bellies in Haiti.

What does agriculture have to do with deforestation?  The tropics is a less than ideal growing condition for most staple crops, but despite that Haiti could have a much higher crop yield than it does.  According to Wikipedia, it is estimated that every year 15,000 acres of fertile topsoil is washed away.  The number one problem with deforestation is soil erosion, aka what’s happening in Haiti, and Haiti has much more agricultural hindering devastation to look forward to. Deforestation not only lowers the productivity of land, but also worsens droughts; not to mention all the hurricanes that ravage the country and destroys many of the few crops that they are able to grow.

Since Haiti lies in the middle of the hurricane belt, the world can’t prevent natural disasters from affecting the country, but the devastation hurricanes have caused in Haiti is less than natural.  Hurricane Ike and the other storms that hit Haiti in August of 2008 pillaged much of the Caribbean, yet Haiti still had a death toll that was ten times higher than all the other islands that had been hit, combined (Farmer, Paul). Many of the coastal cities in Haiti, like Gonaïves and Les Cayes, were devastated by flash flooding and mudslides caused by rain water that poured out of deforested mountains. The forests of Haiti are less than half of what they were twenty years ago, which wasn’t very luscious or large to begin with (Farmer, Paul). In 1999, Haiti only had 1.5 percent of it’s forests remaining (Haiti See You Go).  With all the problems caused by deforestation, why is Haiti so deforested?

Well, it’s pretty easy to plant trees, but when you’re starving and poor it’s just as easy to cut a tree down and make it into charcoal to cook with. With high gas prices, and a 80 percent of the country living off less than two dollars a day a cheap fuel source is essential.  Unfortunately, Haiti’s charcoal comes from trees.  Not to mention, the rate of those uneducated probably know nothing about the consequences of cutting down those trees, and even if they did what do they do?  They need to eat.

“Only alternative fuels and reforestation, linked with other public works, and thus jobs, can reverse Haiti’s deforestation. Jobs outside the agricultural sector are urgently needed if reforestation is to happen. This should make progressives slow to disparage new jobs in the tourist and apparel industries, dealt severe blows by the political unrest of the recent past (Paul Farmer).”

How can you help?  Support reforestation projects in Haiti, or start your own. You can help by raising money, giving time, or even going to Haiti and providing education and efforts to stop deforestation. I have found, that with a busy college schedule and lack of money, that the easiest things for me to do is to donate money and time, if you have it, to an NGO.  If you can’t afford to donate money, donate time or have a fundraiser with all profits going to a specific NGO.

Some current efforts to reforest Haiti…

Food For the Poor does so much in Haiti, including their program, Trees for Haiti.  Learn more at <http://www.foodforthepoor.org/help/trees.html>.

Sun Ovens is providing alternative cooking methods to charcoal.  Ask your local Haiti NGO to look into donating sunovens to families if you volunteer to raise the money for them.  Sun ovens will not only save trees, but it will save the Haitians the money they spend to buy charcoal.  For more information, visit <http://www.sunoven.com/international/haiti.php>.

Haiti Innovation is also working to prevent deforestation.  Look online at their list of methods and ideas to reforest this beautiful island <http://www.haitiinnovation.org>.

Reforest Haiti: the name explains it all. Share ideas at Reforest Haiti; visit <http://www.reforesthaiti.org/>.

Journal Citation:

Farmer, Paul. “Haiti’s Unnatural Disaster.” The nation 287.10 (2008):6. <http://sfx.wisconsin.edu/uwrf?@rft.auinit=P&rft.issn=0027-8378&rft.volume=287&rft.genre=article&rft.pub=The Nation Company L.P.&rft.pages=6&rft.year=2008&rft.issue=10&rft.place=New York, N.Y.&@rft.stitle=NATION&@rft.aufirst=Paul&@rft.aulast=Farmer&rft.atitle=Haiti’s Unnatural Disaster&rft.jtitle=The nation&sfx.sid=metalib.com:WILSON_OMNIFT&@rft.auinit1=P>

“Haiti see you go.” Earth Island journal 14.2 (1999):8. <http://sfx.wisconsin.edu/uwrf?rft.issn=1041-0406&rft.volume=14&rft.genre=article&rft.pub=Earth Island Institute&rft.pages=8&rft.year=1999&rft.issue=2&rft.place=San Francisco, CA&@rft.stitle=EARTH ISLAND JOURNAL AN INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS MAGAZINE&rft.atitle=Haiti see you go.&rft.jtitle=Earth Island journal&sfx.sid=metalib.com:EBSCO_APH>

The warm breeze passes through my hair as I am looking down at my toes poking out of the warm white sand. I listen to the waves gently bathe the shoreline. The fresh air smells like nothing; it smells completely pure. The towering coconut tree shades my orange-glowing tan skin from the warm Caribbean sun.  As my eyes move from my feet to the horizonline, I catch a glimpse of the most breath taking sight on Earth. 

Over the crystal, blue water large, beautiful, white bird capture the warm sea breeze under their wings and glide across the sky.  About ten feet off the shore the waves crest into stunning white rows of diamonds.  To the left, off in the distance, there are more gorgeous white sand beaches with large mountain ranges painted in the background.  The sky is as blue as the sea with not a cloud in site.  As I look across the horizon I wonder if I am really awake or if it’s all a dream.  I feel a sharp pinch on my arm, and I know I am here.  I’ve made it to Paradise.  I’m in Aquin again.

je retrouve un livre dédicacé. 

Que je n’ai même pas lu.

Dont l’auteur, Emmanuel Aquin

était venu nous parler et avait fait une séance d’autographes.

Il m’avait écrit:

Pour Simon le galant

qui a compris comment

agir pour bien paraître! : )

Emmanuel

 2/12/2005

Je me rappelle de son petit sourire en coin voulant dire “tu comprendras quand le temps viendra”.

Je pense que le temps est venu.

La superficialité - le faux – le beau – il faut y mettre fin

pour ne laisser que 

soi.

Un penseur aussi convenable et mesuré qu’Emmanuel Kant pouvait continuer de croire sérieusement que la guerre servait les desseins de la Providence. Après Hiroshima, nous savons désormais que toute guerre est, au mieux, un enfer nécessaire. Un théologien aussi pénétré que saint Thomas d’Aquin pouvait très sérieusement soutenir que les tyrans servaient les fins de la Providence, parce que s’il n’y avait pas eu de tyrans, il n’y aurait pas eu de martyrs. Après Auschwitz, celui qui utiliserait cet argument se rendrait coupable de blasphème.

Après ces événements épouvantables, qui se sont déroulés au coeur même du monde moderne éclairé et techniquement avancé, peut-on continuer de croire en un Dieu qui est nécessairement progrès ou encore en un Dieu qui manifeste Sa puissance sous la forme d’une Providence infiniment clairvoyante?