Rainforest loss shocks Brazil

[Guest guest]

Rainforest loss shocks Brazil

 

Source >

http://www.guardian.co.uk/brazil/story/0,12462,1488468,00.html#article_continue

 

John Vidal

Friday May 20, 2005

The Guardian

 

An area of the Amazonian rainforest cleared by soya

bean farmers in Novo Progreso, Brazil. Photograph:

Alberto Cesar/Greenpeace/AP

An area of the Amazonian rainforest cleared by soya

bean farmers in Novo Progreso, Brazil. Photograph:

Alberto Cesar/Greenpeace/AP

http://www.guardian.co.uk/brazil/story/0,12462,1488468,00.html#article_continue

 

 

Deforestation in the Amazon rainforest last year was

the second worst ever, figures released by the

Brazilian government have shown. Satellite photos and

other data showed that ranchers, loggers and

especially soy bean farmers felled more than 10,000

square miles.

 

The figures shocked Brazil's environment minister,

Marina Silva, who told delegates to the World Social

Forum in Porto Alegre earlier this year that she

believed that increases in deforestation had been

stemmed and that illegal deforestation was under

control.

 

In fact, the destruction was nearly 6% higher than in

the same period in 2003, when 9,500 square miles were

destroyed.

 

" We will intensify our actions to fight illegal

deforestation in the most critical areas, " Ms Silva

said. She added that deforestation in several Amazon

states had decreased.

 

Just under half of the deforestation occurred in the

state of Mato Grosso, where trees have been replaced

with soya fields, largely to supply the booming

European market, which has moved away from genetically

modified soya grown mainly in the US, and rapidly

industrialising China.

 

Last year soya exports propelled Brazil to a record

trade surplus. New figures show more than 70% of the

loss occurred between May and July 2004, immediately

after the adoption of President Lula's plan to curb

deforestation.

 

Environmentalists were dismayed at the figures, which

were announced nearly a year after the Brazilian

government pledged $140m (£76.25) to increase

surveillance of threatened areas and create large

environmental reserves.

 

" Agribusiness and illegal logging are key culprits.

President Lula's government is facing a fundamental

contradiction: to fight Amazon deforestation or to

promote the expansion of agribusiness to pay the

Brazilian external debt " , said Paulo Adario, head of

of Greenpeace Amazon. " The government needs to

restrict soya plantations to areas already deforested,

combat illegal logging, and effectively implement

their own anti-deforestation plan " , he said.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

Ok Rick Stevens,

 

the jig is up

we all love the info you send and believe me there is some good stuff there

so lets hear from you direct. where ya from

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all the best

Craig

 

 

 

Rainforest loss shocks Brazil