Amazon Deforestation Slows: the Struggle Continues
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 12. 8.07
According to the BBC, the Brazillian government has just announced that the rate at which the Amazon rainforest is being destroyed slowed by as much as 20% between August 2006 and July 2007. Good news indeed for us TreeHuggers it would seem. And it’s not the first time we’ve heard the news that deforestation is slowing. We’ve even seen some reports that global forest cover is set for a resurgence. We, however, are not convinced that we’re out of the woods, so to speak, just yet given the continued destructive behavor of some well-known companies. It looks like the BBC is inclined to agree when they take a slightly closer look at the figures:
…another environmental organisation - Greenpeace - says the government is celebrating an achievement from the past and that more recent satellite images suggest deforestation is starting to rise again. Some analysts had already warned that recent falls in deforestation could be explained by a drop in market prices for products such as soya and meat and that once these rose again, land clearance would start to increase.
Nevertheless, while the significance of the numbers is in dispute, they do show one thing – the rate of destruction is not a constant, but alters with the economic, social and political conditions of the time. It’s up to us all then, to ensure that the conditions of the time favor reforestation and conservation in the strongest possible way. ::BBC::via site visit::
Hi guys. Please, don't believe in what Brazilian government says. They lie. Every time. They are selling Amazon and getting money for their party (Worker's Party - PT). Corruption is the biggest environment's enemy down here in Brazil. You tend to think about Brazil as a green country because of ethanol. You're wrong. There is no respect to the environment here. Ethanol can be considered a green fuel. But the amount of waste generated to produce it is huge! So, here is a tip: every time you listen Brazilian government saying something, just be sure it's exactly the opposite. Thanks and congratulations!
I too would have to question this. All satelite imatry I've seen supports the statement that the rain forrests of the East, Africa, and South America are rapidly disappering. Doing a google search a common number thrown around is about 30% of the remaining rain forrest disappears every 10 years. This is probably high but I highy doubt the rate is slowing. This is directly caused by explosive population growth in the third world. So, please bear with me, and ponder this question:
Which due you thnk has the largest impact on Global Warming? An inbred redneck from Pee Dee Kentucky driving a monster truck with umungous tires and a big Moma in a SUV toting 2 kids to soccer practice, OR the world population doubling every 20 years and 30% of the remaining rain forrest being cut down every 10 years. This doesn't even mention the fact that Trans-National Kapitalists are shutting down heavy industry right and left in the USA, avoiding the costs of capturing 90 to 99% of the polution, to produce in Red China where there is no polution control and the Chinese Communist Pary admits that 750,000 people die of polution every year in China.