Following Brazil's recent announcement of a dramatic rise in Amazon deforestation in the country in the last months of 2007, the country this week announced new plans to try to slow the destruction. Plans include tapping the army to conduct inspections of known problem areas and keep deforested land from being cultivated or used for pasture, fining meat processors and soy buyers that purchase products originating from deforested areas, and denying credit to landowners who don't maintain preservation areas. Brazil's environment minister, Marina Silva, attributed the spike in deforestation to rising prices for corn, soy, and meat on the international market. An estimated 2,700 square miles of Amazon rainforest was destroyed in Brazil last year between August and December, with over half of it happening in November and December alone. If the country's new plan doesn't work, Silva said, Brazil "will have an environmental loss and an economic loss."
source: Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, Reuters
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jdhlax Posted 2:10 am
26 Jan 2008
Humans have destroyed most of the forests on the planet. What's so hard to understand about trying to save ALL of what little is left?
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raz Posted 1:47 pm
27 Jan 2008
I think the measures should be based on the stick and the carrot both and not only rely on the stick. Give local communities the carrot and I promise you that you will see deforestation figures decrease again.
I also think it shouldn't be the sole responsibility of the Brazilian government to take care of it. The Brazilian rain forest is called "the lungs of the world" for its ability to consume greenhouse gases and produce oxygen, and hence I believe the world should chip in.
Just last week I wrote on our blog on Norway's announcement on its willingness to contribute about $500 million a year to projects aimed at protecting forests in developing countries. I think this kind of funding (and of course other countries should contribute as well) can make some good in Brazil and help Lula protect this precious natural resource.
Raz Godelnik
Eco-Libris
http://www.ecolibris.net
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