THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE RESOLUTION

INTRODUCED BY DONATUCCI, BRADFORD, BRENNAN, BRIGGS, CALTAGIRONE, DiGIROLAMO, FABRIZIO, GEIST, GOODMAN, HARHAI, HENNESSEY, HESS, JOSEPHS, KORTZ, KULA, MAHONEY, MANN, McGEEHAN, MILLARD, MIRABITO, M. O'BRIEN, PAYTON, READSHAW, ROEBUCK, SANTONI, SCAVELLO, STABACK, THOMAS, VEREB, VULAKOVICH, WATERS, WATSON AND YOUNGBLOOD, JUNE 6, 2011

INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35, JUNE 6, 2011  

A RESOLUTION

Recognizing the month of May 2011 as "Rain Forest Awareness

Month" in Pennsylvania and urging Commonwealth residents to

become aware of the disappearing rain forests worldwide and

to make choices that can lead to protection of those

remaining areas.

WHEREAS, Rain forests originally covered 12% of the earth's

surface, and now cover just 6%, and yet are home to more than

one half of the planet's species, including ours; and

WHEREAS, Fifty million indigenous peoples call the rain

forests home and have lived there sustainably for millennia; and

WHEREAS, More than 25% of the medicines in general use today

had their origins in the rain forest, while rain forests offer a

bounty of diverse foods including fruits, vegetables, spices and

proteins which could prove essential to meeting the planet's

growing demand for food and nutrition; and

WHEREAS, Although they cover only a small portion of the

planet's surface, rain forests affect climate and weather the

world over; and

WHEREAS, Tropical rain forests replenish 20% of the oxygen in

the atmosphere through photosynthesis but more importantly,

perhaps, they sequester, or store, vast amounts of carbon in

their biomass which is, in large part, the carbon released by

the burning of fossil fuels for cars, electricity and industry;

and

WHEREAS, When forests are destroyed, often by burning, huge

amounts of CO2 are released, exacerbating the greenhouse effect

and global warming; and

WHEREAS, Rain forests play a key role in controlling

flooding, erosion and siltation in many parts of the world, as

they absorb huge amounts of rainfall and then slowly release it

as a constant supply of clean H2O; and

WHEREAS, Global weather patterns are impacted by the dark,

warm and humid rain forests due to the slowly released water

vapor that rises to the atmosphere and forms clouds, which

travel great distances and bring essential rain all over the

globe; and

WHEREAS, Rain forests are also responsible for maintaining

the hydrological cycle and rain fall patterns, and one tree can

evaporate as much as 75 gallons of water per day; and 

WHEREAS, According to the Rainforest Foundation US,

www.rainforestfoundation.org, between the years 2000 and 2008,

more than 10.4 million hectares, an area 2.5 times the size of

Switzerland, of rain forest were destroyed by logging and to

make way for ranching and nonsustainable agriculture, and the

rate of destruction increased dramatically to one acre per

second; therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives join with the

Rainforest Foundation US in designating May 2011 as "Rain Forest

Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania and urge all Commonwealth

residents to make small, everyday choices which can have far-

reaching repercussions to protect rain forests by choosing

products that include sustainably harvested rain forest

resources that don't compromise the well-being of rain forest

communities and species; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives urge all

Commonwealth residents to become more conscious of the benefits

of the world's rain forests, for schools to hold discussions

about the effects that the disappearance of rain forests may

have on the world and that all residents speak out to the

President and Congress of the United States, corporate officials

and others about any concerns they may have about the need to

protect the world's rain forests; and be it further

RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to

the Rainforest Foundation US and to the presiding officers of

each house of Congress and to each member of Congress from

Pennsylvania.