Amazon Deforestation on the Upswing Again. By Michael Astor, AP, May 21, 2008. "Destruction of the Amazon is again on the upswing despite a recent crackdown on illegal logging, Brazil's new environment minister said Wednesday. Carlos Minc said official calculations of how much rain forest has been cut down would be released Monday... 'It will be bad news. It will be data showing an increase in deforestation,' Minc said in an interview... [He] took his post last week after veteran rain forest defender Marina Silva surprised the nation by stepping down, citing 'stagnation' in the fight to preserve the world's largest remaining tropical wilderness. Deforestation in the Amazon had declined for three consecutive years until earlier this year when preliminary satellite data detected a spike. In response to the increase, the government sent environmental agents and elite federal police units to crack down on illegal logging in the jungle region. The crackdown was met with violent protests as it shut down dozens of illegal sawmills and led to seizure of 15,500 tons of illegally logged wood... The Brazilian Amazon covers about 1.6 million square miles or nearly 60% of the country. About 20% of the forest has already been razed."
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment