12/4/2010
Source: Rhino Car Hire
Latest figures released by the Brazilian government and ratified by the US show that deforestation in the Amazon dropped 14% last year to its lowest for 22 years.
In 2005 President Lula pledged to reduce the deforestation by 80% by the year 2020 and a subsequent revision will lead to Brazil achieving its target of less than 5000 sq kms per year by 2017.
Deforestation in the Amazon basin impacts in two ways on climate change. First the deforestation itself in which huge swathes of trees are felled and then the stubble, roots and branches are then burnt contribute 20% to the world's carbon emissions.
Secondly the lower numbers of trees reduce the capacity of natural carbon capture, widening the gap further.
New initiatives have helped get the figures lower including better policing of the forest and monitoring by plane and satellite. Additionally many companies have pledged not to buy beef and soya produced on rainforest cleared land reducing the benefits gained from deforestation. The Brazilian government has accepted a 'debt swap' with the US whereby interest payable on loans is redirected towards helping those reliant on the rainforest. Local people have also been given the land title documents to parcels of the rainforest to give them a stake in its survival.
Greenpeace are pleased with the latest figures which show a dramatic drop from the 27,772 sq km cut down in 2004 but still say that any deforestation is bad for the environment and we should be planting trees not felling them.
