Amazon Deforestation Is Way Down — But There’s More Work To Do

In the global effort to protect our planet’s natural resources, any progress should be celebrated. And there’s a lot to acknowledge across the Amazon rainforest in Brazil these days.

A major reduction

According to the latest statistics, deforestation resulted in the loss of roughly 1,700 square miles over the course of the past year. That’s a lot (about the same size as Rhode Island) but it’s nevertheless a big drop from the amount of rainforest depleted during the previous 12-month period.

In fact, a year-over-year comparison shows that deforestation was almost cut in half.

But that doesn’t tell the whole story.

Brazilian Environment Ministry Executive Secretary Joao Paulo Capobianco confirmed that a strike by federal environmental agency staffers brought about a recent surge in deforestation. Compared to July 2023, the number of trees cut down across the rainforest was about one-third higher.

And then there’s the Cerrado, a massive savannah in Brazil that has experienced increased deforestation due in large part to the soybean industry and regulations that aren’t as strict as those protecting the Amazon.

Efforts are underway

A new president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has taken a far more proactive approach than his predecessor when it comes to protecting both the Amazon and the Cerrado. He has vowed to reach “deforestation zero” by the beginning of the next decade … but it’s worth noting that his current term in office ends in just over two years.

Law enforcement and high-tech tracking are two ways the government hopes to meet that goal.

Roughly two-thirds of the massive Amazon rainforest falls within Brazil’s boundaries, and it is not only the habitat of untold species — it also contains about 20% of the planet’s freshwater and absorbs a huge amount of the carbon dioxide that could otherwise accelerate global warming.

Chris Agee August 9th, 2024

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