Brazilian
Long-Range Infrastructure Plans
The ideal system of transportation would have the most effective
and efficient modes of transport tailored to the commodities that they are
moving. For the Amazon rain forest, the extra consideration is that
one wants to minimize the environmental impact of all transportation systems.
With these criteria in mind, we have concluded that the following system
would work best for Brazil.
- For transportation of industrial commodities, i.e.
lumber, mineral ores, oil, agricultural products, finished products from
within the rain forest over long distances towards eastern factories and
ports, railroads may be better for the enviornment than roads. When
new roads are created or old roads are improved, there tends to be a period
of "spontaneous colonization, logging, mining, and land speculation that
is almost impossible for governments to control" (Laurence et. al., "The
Future of the Brazilian Amazon." Science Magazine). We hypothesize
that this effect would be eliminated or greatly reduced if railroads were
built instead of roads, because railroads are less inviting to pedestrian
or vehicle traffic.
- Citing successful implementation of this method elsewhere
in remote areas, i.e. Alaska, airfields at all the urbanized areas will provide
adequate transport for any citizens who wish to travel. They only take
a small piece out of the jungle, and the emissions from aircraft would be
less than that of all the vehicles on major highways driving back and forth.
Airplanes really are a form of mass transit, even though they are not
always thought of in that light.
- Within the urban areas in the Amazon, streets and roads
are a necessity, but we cannot emphasize enough how we would like to see
other modes of transportation in all other areas where it is feasible. Mass
transit, like busing, in the towns and cities would be a definite boon
to the environment by reducing emissions and reducing the number of vehicles,
which then reduces the need for more pavement, more vehicles, more emissions,
etc.
None of this is meant to sound
as though we wish to isolate those already living in the Amazon from the
rest of Brazil in favor of protecting the environment by simply not providing
them the transportation infrastructure that they so desperately want and
need. Our aim is to provide that transportation, but through alternative
methods, so as to still preserve the priceless environment and biodiversity
of the region.