jair bolsonaro

How Jair Bolsonaro Is Boosting Deforestation

How Jair Bolsonaro Is Boosting Deforestation

Right-wing Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro’s administration has pushed pause on monitoring industry in protected areas of the Amazon, the New York Times reports. An analysis of public records by the Times shows that enforcement actions, like fines and warnings against loggers, ranchers and miners illegally operating in the Amazon, have dropped by 20 percent since […]

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    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 […]

    Bolsonaro Welcomes Big Business to Brazil, Alarming Environmentalists and Indigenous Groups

    Bolsonaro Welcomes Big Business to Brazil, Alarming Environmentalists and Indigenous Groups

    In his first major international speech, Brazil’s new president Jair Bolsonaro told the politicians and business leaders gathered in Davos this week that he’s opening up his country and its natural resources to foreign investment, all while—somehow—preserving the nation’s environment and biodiversity. “It is now our mission to make progress in harmonizing environmental preservation and […]

    ‘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 […]

    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 […]

    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 […]