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The reason Log Drivers don't exist anymore isn't because of logging trucks, it's because the quality wood adjacent to rivers is mostly gone. Water transportatio

by patmcc 12y ago

The reason Log Drivers don't exist anymore isn't because of logging trucks, it's because the quality wood adjacent to rivers is mostly gone. Water transportation and sorting of logs is still very much a thing; come up to coastal BC Canada and you'll see it frequently.

tarre 12y ago
In Finland the most common reason is, that hardly any suitable rivers exist any more as they have been dammed.
speeder 12y ago
Here in Brazil Log Drivers still exist, mostly in the Amazon Rainforest (lots, lots and lots of rivers, even between cities most transportation is by boat). But usually it is done for illegal logging companies (it is illegal to log near a river, because the soil falls on the water and makes the river shallower).
- marincounty 12y ago
  Is there a reputable non-profit that works on stopping this illegial activity? This a good site to mention a legitimate charity? It would be great to hear from someone who lives in Brazil?
  - speeder 12y ago
    I think there are some non-profits, but I think they are mostly foreign. First, Amazon rainforest is HUGE, VERY HUGE, dense, hard to navigate, among other things, this make patrolling it effectively impossible. Second, there are still uncontacted tribes there, and they are very violent (it is the reason why they are still uncontacted, they DON'T want contact, and are not afraid to turn white or black people stalking around into arrow pincushions), and some other tribes that deeply distrust white people for past transgressions, thus wandering around is dangerous (including for the loggers, it is not uncommon to see natives vs loggers wars that leave a couple of people dead, also natives vs miners happen frequently too, Amazon rainforest soil is rich in very valuable minerals). It is a very hairy problem, the brazillian government has two specialized agencies working on this (Funai, that works with native americans, and Ibama, that is the envionmental agency), has satellites dedicated to that (Brazil builds satellites to track deforestation, and I believe China launches them for us, since we exploded our launch platform and rocket), and there is the police and the army working with this. That said, it is still not working, not because of the loggers, or miners, but because of corrupt politicians that own land there, there is a huge problem of politicians (and some other high power people, like judges) that "somehow" end with huge tracts of land that have only forest in it, then they clear the land to put cattle in it, the activity of illegally clearing forest to put cattle in its place is making the deforestation rate rise (instead of declining despite all the efforts). Finally, a couple of non-profit workers and Ibama workers were murdered around the area, seemly usually by politicians, one notorious case two Ibama workers were murdered by a city mayor, that even after conviction and arrest still got re-elected (yay for democracy), and Dorathy Stang case http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy_Stang http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy_Stang

by patmcc 12y ago

tarre 12y ago

In Finland the most common reason is, that hardly any suitable rivers exist any more as they have been dammed.

speeder 12y ago

Here in Brazil Log Drivers still exist, mostly in the Amazon Rainforest (lots, lots and lots of rivers, even between cities most transportation is by boat). But usually it is done for illegal logging companies (it is illegal to log near a river, because the soil falls on the water and makes the river shallower).

marincounty 12y ago
Is there a reputable non-profit that works on stopping this illegial activity? This a good site to mention a legitimate charity? It would be great to hear from someone who lives in Brazil?
- speeder 12y ago
  I think there are some non-profits, but I think they are mostly foreign. First, Amazon rainforest is HUGE, VERY HUGE, dense, hard to navigate, among other things, this make patrolling it effectively impossible. Second, there are still uncontacted tribes there, and they are very violent (it is the reason why they are still uncontacted, they DON'T want contact, and are not afraid to turn white or black people stalking around into arrow pincushions), and some other tribes that deeply distrust white people for past transgressions, thus wandering around is dangerous (including for the loggers, it is not uncommon to see natives vs loggers wars that leave a couple of people dead, also natives vs miners happen frequently too, Amazon rainforest soil is rich in very valuable minerals). It is a very hairy problem, the brazillian government has two specialized agencies working on this (Funai, that works with native americans, and Ibama, that is the envionmental agency), has satellites dedicated to that (Brazil builds satellites to track deforestation, and I believe China launches them for us, since we exploded our launch platform and rocket), and there is the police and the army working with this. That said, it is still not working, not because of the loggers, or miners, but because of corrupt politicians that own land there, there is a huge problem of politicians (and some other high power people, like judges) that "somehow" end with huge tracts of land that have only forest in it, then they clear the land to put cattle in it, the activity of illegally clearing forest to put cattle in its place is making the deforestation rate rise (instead of declining despite all the efforts). Finally, a couple of non-profit workers and Ibama workers were murdered around the area, seemly usually by politicians, one notorious case two Ibama workers were murdered by a city mayor, that even after conviction and arrest still got re-elected (yay for democracy), and Dorathy Stang case http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy_Stang http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy_Stang