Is Logging in the Congo Worth It?
In Is Logging in the Congo Worth It?, host Simon Reeve and his guide Addams are driving through the Congo after their trek and come across dirt roads made by loggers. Addams explains that while some logging is legal, there’s also a lot of illegal logging of African redwood happening, which harms the rainforest and its people. As a conservationist, Addams investigates these loggers to make sure they follow the law, but he also questions if logging, even when legal, is morally right. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Wilderness With Simon Reeve, an epic adventure into the heart of Earth’s last great wild areas, where nature is at its most beautiful and fragile.
Lesson Express
Q: Addams mentions the difference between legal and illegal logging. Why might even legal logging be considered morally or ethically questionable?
A: Even legal logging can harm the environment by depleting valuable resources, disrupting ecosystems, and contributing to deforestation. It raises questions about sustainability and whether the benefits of logging outweigh the long-term damage to the rainforest and its inhabitants.
Q: What role does Addams’s investigative company play in protecting the Congo Basin, and why is this work important?
A: Addams’s company investigates loggers to ensure they follow legal guidelines, helping to prevent illegal logging. This work is crucial because it helps protect the rainforest from overexploitation, preserves the environment for Indigenous people and wildlife, and raises awareness about the need for sustainable practices.
Q: How do the rivers in the Congo Basin serve as both a benefit and a challenge in the fight against illegal logging?
A: The rivers provide a natural route for transporting logs, which benefits both legal and illegal loggers. However, this accessibility makes it harder to monitor and control illegal activity, posing a challenge for conservation efforts.
More Like This
In Inside a Super Recycling Plant, plastic is everywhere, and while it’s bad for wildlife, many people wonder — how bad is it for us? Every year, millions of tons of plastic end up in landfills, but new technology is making recycling more effective. At a cutting-edge plant, 5 million plastic bottles are cleaned, chopped up, and turned into brand-new, food-safe bottles every day — without any waste! This process gives old plastic a fresh start and shows progress in tackling the massive plastic problem. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Bang Goes the Theory, a series that delves into the ways science impacts our lives and shapes the world we experience every day.
In Protecting the Manatee in Belize, host Simon Reeve journeys to Belize, home to one of the last large populations of manatees. These gentle marine giants, surprisingly related to elephants, face grave danger as reckless boating claims around 50 lives annually. Simon visits Wild Tracks, a rehabilitation center, where he meets baby manatees in recovery and witnesses a heartwarming release of one back into the wild. This video is excerpted from BBC’s The Americas With Simon Reeve, in which Simon Reeve explores the landscapes, cultures, and wildlife of North and South America.
In Designing a Digital Campaign to Save Sumatran Tigers, tiger conservation is on display at a zoo’s tiger show and is the focus of a digital campaign designed to educate the public about why it’s important to save this magnificent species. This video is excerpted from BBC’s North America with Simon Reeve, in which the adventurer and environmentalist explores North America to learn all about the animals that make this continent amazing.
In Visit the Natural Playground of Costa Rica, host Simon Reeve and his guide explore lush forests filled with iguanas, butterflies, toucans, macaws, and even capybaras! Discover how this small country, packed with over 500,000 species of wildlife, is a world leader in protecting nature as children plant thousands of trees in a reforestation project that’s growing forests for the future. This video is excerpted from BBC’s The Americas With Simon Reeve, in which Simon Reeve explores the landscapes, cultures, and wildlife of North and South America
In Inside a Super Recycling Plant, plastic is everywhere, and while it’s bad for wildlife, many people wonder — how bad is it for us? Every year, millions of tons of plastic end up in landfills, but new technology is making recycling more effective. At a cutting-edge plant, 5 million plastic bottles are cleaned, chopped up, and turned into brand-new, food-safe bottles every day — without any waste! This process gives old plastic a fresh start and shows progress in tackling the massive plastic problem. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Bang Goes the Theory, a series that delves into the ways science impacts our lives and shapes the world we experience every day.
In Protecting the Manatee in Belize, host Simon Reeve journeys to Belize, home to one of the last large populations of manatees. These gentle marine giants, surprisingly related to elephants, face grave danger as reckless boating claims around 50 lives annually. Simon visits Wild Tracks, a rehabilitation center, where he meets baby manatees in recovery and witnesses a heartwarming release of one back into the wild. This video is excerpted from BBC’s The Americas With Simon Reeve, in which Simon Reeve explores the landscapes, cultures, and wildlife of North and South America.
In Designing a Digital Campaign to Save Sumatran Tigers, tiger conservation is on display at a zoo’s tiger show and is the focus of a digital campaign designed to educate the public about why it’s important to save this magnificent species. This video is excerpted from BBC’s North America with Simon Reeve, in which the adventurer and environmentalist explores North America to learn all about the animals that make this continent amazing.
In Visit the Natural Playground of Costa Rica, host Simon Reeve and his guide explore lush forests filled with iguanas, butterflies, toucans, macaws, and even capybaras! Discover how this small country, packed with over 500,000 species of wildlife, is a world leader in protecting nature as children plant thousands of trees in a reforestation project that’s growing forests for the future. This video is excerpted from BBC’s The Americas With Simon Reeve, in which Simon Reeve explores the landscapes, cultures, and wildlife of North and South America