This is extremely worrying: New data released by the Brazilian government show that deforestation in the Amazon has increased by nearly a third over the past year. According to Brazilian governments figures released on Thursday, satellite data for the 12 months through the end of July have revealed a 28-percent increase in deforestation compared to last year. The study also showed that approximately 2,256 square miles (5,843 square km) of land has been cleared during the period, an area roughly the size of the US state of Delaware. Scientists and environmentalists said the trend marks a reversal in gains against deforestation in Brazil, though other Amazon countries have also witnessed a rise in deforestation since 2011. The reason is unknown, but experts attribute deforestation to government infrastructure projects, environmental policy, and a rise in demand for soybeans and other Brazilian farm exports, which encourage ranchers to clear private land in the Amazon. “You cant argue with numbers,” said Marcio Astrini, a coordinator with the environmentalist group, Greenpeace, adding, “This is not alarmist - its a real and measured inversion of what had been a positive trend.” The Amazon rainforest covers territory belonging to nine nations, with more than 60 percent located in Brazil, followed by Peru with 13 percent, Columbia with 10 percent, and minor amounts in Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana.
Posted on: Wed, 20 Nov 2013 15:03:26 +0000
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