Tuesday, May 24, 2005Amazon destruction accelerates
This morning is "Rainforest Rally" at my son's elementary school, a
celebration of rainforests and expression of concern. So the news of
events in the Brazilian Amazon is especially disturbing. Loss of
rainforest in the Amazon to agriculture is accelerating. In spite of
strong laws to protect remaining rainforests, the Brazilian government
is unable to stop illegal logging and land clearing.
Rainforest clearing increased by 6% in last year's satellite surveys. The major cause is a booming national economy, but high worldwide demand for soybeans is a factor. Annual revenues from soybean exports now exceed those from coffee and sugar, Brazil's mainstay commodities for many years.
The government, despite passing strong laws and attempting to enforce them, is complicit in the conversion of land. BR-163, the major highway that bisects the Amazon from north to south, is being paved. The history of road encroachments is clear - more roads provide easier access which accelerates land conversion.
Corruption plays a major role. The governor of Mato Gross is also the largest soybean producer in the country. As in Indonesia and other countries where rainforest destruction is accelerating, the combination of poverty, greed and official corruption is fatal to efforts to conserve rainforests. Countries like Malaysia (at least Peninsular Malaysia) with strong economies and a tradition of fairly clean government are better able to combat greedy interests and at least slow the rate of rainforest conversion and illegal logging.
Where do the logs from illegal logging and land clearing go? While domestic consumption is significant, much of this wood is probably finding its way onto the international market, and is therefore winding up in the US. Is any going to China?
Rainforest clearing increased by 6% in last year's satellite surveys. The major cause is a booming national economy, but high worldwide demand for soybeans is a factor. Annual revenues from soybean exports now exceed those from coffee and sugar, Brazil's mainstay commodities for many years.
The government, despite passing strong laws and attempting to enforce them, is complicit in the conversion of land. BR-163, the major highway that bisects the Amazon from north to south, is being paved. The history of road encroachments is clear - more roads provide easier access which accelerates land conversion.
Corruption plays a major role. The governor of Mato Gross is also the largest soybean producer in the country. As in Indonesia and other countries where rainforest destruction is accelerating, the combination of poverty, greed and official corruption is fatal to efforts to conserve rainforests. Countries like Malaysia (at least Peninsular Malaysia) with strong economies and a tradition of fairly clean government are better able to combat greedy interests and at least slow the rate of rainforest conversion and illegal logging.
Where do the logs from illegal logging and land clearing go? While domestic consumption is significant, much of this wood is probably finding its way onto the international market, and is therefore winding up in the US. Is any going to China?
