One article I read was about the production of sassafras oil in southwest Cambodia. This oil is used to make the recreational drug ecstasy which is in high demand in China and the United States. Sassafras oil from Cambodia is over 90% pure and can be sold for extremely high prices. The problem with the production of this oil however, is that it is killing the wilderness in southwest Cambodia.
According to David Bradfield who is an adviser to the Wildlife Sanctuaries Project of Fauna and Flora International, the oil is killing trees and and weakening the ecosystem. This wilderness in Cambodia is some of the last forest areas left in southeast Asia. Twelve to fifteen thousand people depend on this wildlife area for hunting and gathering food for their families survival. The production of this oil is having an extremely negative effect on the environment.
It is sad to think that one of the only wilderness areas left is being killing due to the production of illegal drugs. The wilderness is a sacred place that is essential to many peoples lives. The Cambodian government should do something to protect these areas and stop the production of sassafras oils.
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