The Amazon rainforest is the world’s largest tropical rainforest covering half of Brazil. It has been described as the lungs of our planet producing about 20 per cent of the world’s oxygen and may house half of all plant and animal species.
More than 20 per cent of the Amazon has been destroyed or deforested for cattle ranches, mining operations, logging or agriculture. Dating back to 1965, the Brazilian Forest Code restricts the amount of forest that can be cleared, establishes general regulations of land use, and determines valid areas for farming and timber exploitation. A New Forest Code agreed by the Brazilian Senate last week (6th December) could see regulation relaxed, opening up an additional 55 million hectares, the size of France, for logging, cattle ranching and other destructive activities. Additionally, it creates an amnesty for illegal deforestation that occurred prior to 2008.
The mandate came about amidst the United Nations climate talks in Durban where Brazilian delegates agreed to a 2020 target to cut its green house gas emissions by 40 per cent and reduce deforestation levels in the Amazon by 80 per cent (from a 1996-2005 baseline). Many environmental groups, such as Greenpeace and the WWF see the New Forest Code as undermining global efforts to combat climate change and regressive to Brazil’s environmental achievements.
There is still hope. The mandate must be passed to and accepted by President Dilma Rousseff. Greenpeace have set up a campaign to urge president Dilma to veto the New Forest Code and to 'protect this irreplaceable resource.’
Take Action: Send President Dilma a message, urging her to veto the New Forest Code and save the Amazon rainforest
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NEWS ANALYSIS Is the Amazon heading towards a 'tipping point' as a carbon sink? The world's largest rainforest is ravaged by deforestation and two recent droughts. If they continue, says one expert, the Amazon risks entering a period where it can no longer be relied upon to absorb more greenhouse gas emissions than it produces |
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INVESTIGATION Why only the Amazonians can save the rainforest 'Saving the rainforest' has been a battle-cry of the environmental movement since its inception. But just what does that mean, how does it work, and who exactly does the 'saving'? |
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INVESTIGATION Why our growing taste for cheap Brazilian beef is devastating the Amazon Brazil’s cattle sector has become the largest driver for deforestation globally, overtaking palm oil plantations in Asia. With the UK sourcing 40 per cent of its processed beef from Brazil, campaigners are now calling for a consumer boycott. Chris Pala investigates |
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NEWS ANALYSIS Belo Monte dam marks a troubling new era in Brazil's attitude to its rainforest Belo Monte is just one of a dozen giant dam projects Brazil plans to build in the Amazon region in the coming decades and opens up the world's largest tropical rainforest to oil and mining exploration |
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HOW TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE A day in the life of...Nicola Peel, Amazon activist and filmmaker Nicola Peel's new film Blood of the Amazon tells the story of the world's largest environmental lawsuit and investigates how the oil industry threatens a fragile rainforest environment. By Jan Goodey |
