SINCE THE 1970s nearly 800,000km² of Brazil’s original 4m km² of Amazon forest has been lost to logging, farming, mining, roads, dams and other forms of development—an area equivalent to that of Turkey and bigger than that of Texas. Scientists worry this is uncomfortably close to the threshold for tree loss, of between 20 and 25%, beyond which deforestation begins to feed on itself, turning much of the Amazon basin into drier savannah known as cerrado.
The deforestation rate had slowed between 2004 and 2012, when the government beefed up its environmental protection agency, Ibama, and an international Amazon Fund was created to pay for conservation projects. But it began ticking up again after a weakening of environmental legislation and budget cuts during Brazil’s recession of 2014-2016. Between August 2017 and July 2018 Brazil lost 7,900km² of Amazon forest—nearly a billion trees. This year’s figure is almost sure to be higher.
Environmentalists blame Mr Bolsonaro’s insouciance about the Amazon. It is a “virgin” that should be “exploited” for agriculture, mining and infrastructure projects, he says. The environment minister, Ricardo Salles, fired 21 of Ibama’s 27 heads; he has yet to replace most of them, crippling the agency’s enforcement duties.
JonahNRO Can’t they plant some more trees?
JonahNRO Unpopular opinion: Brazilians own the Forrest and can do whatever the heck they want to with it. Want more trees? Plant them in your own back yard.
Am I alone or the choice of 'development' in the headline is way too positive to what the Economist could have not sugar-coated and presented through a more cold, rational profit-based synonym? 'resource gathering' maybe? Development, really?
JonahNRO They should turn their whole country into a national park immediately..
It's distressing for us and those aware of its impact on local and world climate, but it is hard to understand how there can be informed persons that are given the chance to lead a country for the better and what the do leads it to economic and ecologic disaster
JonahNRO And our 'concerned' developed nations meanwhile have abandoned coal, planted so many forests and work for forest protection globally. Opinion without action is just that, useless.
That’s why drastic climate change is happening.
fakenews Include the years 2006-2016 in the chart
We also need to know the quantity that has been grown. One-sided reporting is only one side of the coin. Good journalism covers both sides.
kaludiasays This is true fascism. I wish people would see that. Instead of crying wolf.
meg_montague It's the old 'fake news' thing. It seems to be the answer for anything they dont like. It will pass and people will get tired of it
What happened to the yay for fascism stories you guys were running ?
Why not interview the execs who have most influence with the Bolsonaro regime, namely local & international BigFinance? The response to Amazon deforestation has been Greenwish or worse!
removebolsonaro
He and Trump need to be disposed of. And quickly
rcassano complicated....
Trump declines Paris climate agreement, Brazil’s president destroys the rainforest. Hope is fading for the human species to preserve and survive on mother earth.
Tropical Trump
Perhaps at some stage he should visit The Hague with its many attractions ;) DenHaag
Please HELP US
NPTO Sorry, world. But I didn't vote for him
Lie!l lie! Desinformation!
The far right are not funny or comical, they can destroy us in the long run. They as dangerous as Islamic fundamentalists and more dangerous than communists and Marxists.
FAKENEWS HERE. IF THE DATA WERE CORRECT, THE RAIN FOREST WOULDNT BE THERE TODAY.. STRONG DESPITE THE COMMUNISM PARTY DESTRUCTION OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS. THE AMAZONIA RAIN FOREST THANK BOLSONARO FOR SAVING HER FROM CORRUPTS SOCIALISTS. AnulaVotação
Ir is indeed lies. Brazil had 70 M people in the 1970's. Today its 200 M. Does the data differentiate LEGAL deforestation? For example, you want build a road linking cities there: where do you think it cuts through? The Globalist continues its smear campaign.
Hr is right
Yep, Bolsonaro is indeed the Trump of the Tropics
Baby trump
Earlier on I said the president do not care about Amazon but what goes in his pockets
Bullshit...
There are reports the Brazilian rainforests are doing fine. The world’s bigger is in the US and it’s killer.
🚨🚧FAKE NEWS 🚧🚨TheOpportunist
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