brazil

Amazon Deforestation, Already Rising, May Spike Under Bolsonaro

Amazon Deforestation, Already Rising, May Spike Under Bolsonaro

By Robert T. Walker Over the past 25 years that I have been conducting environmental research in the Amazon, I have witnessed the the ongoing destruction of the world’s biggest rainforest. Twenty percent of it has been deforested by now—an area larger than Texas. I therefore grew hopeful when environmental policies began to take effect […]

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    ‘There Will Be an Increase in Deforestation’: Brazil’s New President Signs Order Endangering Amazon and Indigenous Rights

    ‘There Will Be an Increase in Deforestation’: Brazil’s New President Signs Order Endangering Amazon and Indigenous Rights

    In his first day in office, right wing Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro realized the fears of environmentalists and Indigenous communities. They knew he would use his time in office to increase the access of extractive industries in the Amazon Rainforest. Within hours of taking power Tuesday, Bolsonaro transferred responsibility for recognizing Indigenous lands to the […]

    10 Most Intriguing Forest Stories of 2018

    10 Most Intriguing Forest Stories of 2018

    By Genevieve Belmaker and Joseph Charpentier Throughout 2018, forests continued to be threatened and destroyed. From the Amazon, to the Congo Basin, to the Mekong Delta and scores of places in between—journalists reporting for Mongabay filed hundreds of stories about the world’s forests. Although the significance of any one story is difficult to gauge in […]

    Brazil’s New Environment Minister Is Bad News for the Amazon and the Climate

    Brazil’s New Environment Minister Is Bad News for the Amazon and the Climate

    When right-wing Congressman Jair Bolsonaro was elected president of Brazil in October, environmental groups raised concerns about what his presidency could mean for the future of the Amazon rainforest and the global fight against climate change. Now, Bolsonaro’s choice for environment minister appears to justify those concerns. In a tweet Sunday, Bolsonaro announced he would […]

    60,000 Liters of Oil Spills From Pipeline Into Brazilian Bay

    60,000 Liters of Oil Spills From Pipeline Into Brazilian Bay

    About 60,000 liters (15,850 gallons) of oil spilled from a pipeline into the Estrela River and spread to Rio de Janeiro’s famed Guanabara Bay over the weekend, according to Reuters and local reports. The pipeline is owned by Transpetro, the largest oil and gas transportation company in Brazil, and a subsidiary of Petroleo Brasileiro (commonly […]

    3 Ways the ‘Trump Effect’ Puts the Brakes on International Climate Action

    3 Ways the ‘Trump Effect’ Puts the Brakes on International Climate Action

    As representatives of around 200 countries kicked off the COP24 meeting in Katowice, Poland this week to develop a rulebook for implementing the Paris agreement, a new study looked at how U.S. President Donald Trump‘s decision to withdraw has affected the landmark climate accord. The verdict? The so-called ‘Trump Effect’ has significantly slowed the momentum […]

    Amazon Rainforest Deforestation Hits Highest Rate in 10 Years

    Amazon Rainforest Deforestation Hits Highest Rate in 10 Years

    About 7,900 square kilometers (3,050 square miles) of forest was cleared in the Brazilian Amazon between August 2017 and July 2018, the worst annual deforestation rate in a decade, according to government data. That’s a 13.7 percent jump from the same period last year. As Greenpeace Brazil noted, approximately 1.185 billion trees cut down in […]

    5 Countries Control 70% of the World’s Remaining Wilderness

    5 Countries Control 70% of the World’s Remaining Wilderness

    This week began with the disturbing news that human activity has caused a 60 percent decline in wildlife since 1970. Now, a group of researchers from the University of Queensland and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) have released a stunning map showing that just five countries are home to more than 70 percent of the […]

    Brazil’s New President Could Spell Catastrophe for the Amazon, Indigenous Rights and Global Climate

    Brazil’s New President Could Spell Catastrophe for the Amazon, Indigenous Rights and Global Climate

    Far-right congressman Jair Bolsonaro, whose hostile campaign rhetoric has earned him comparisons to U.S. President Donald Trump, won Brazil’s presidential election Sunday, a development that has raised concerns about the future of human rights and environmental action in the world’s sixth-largest greenhouse gas emitter, CNN reported. Like Trump, Bolsonaro has made homophobic, sexist and racist […]