permaculture

[Lawrence London <lfljvenaura@gmail.com>]

[China now imports most of the soybean that it uses from Brazil and the
USA, needless to say probably gmo and grown with roundup herbicide and
chemical fertilizer. LL]

BBC News - Amazon deforestation 'at record low'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-20512722

 27 November 2012 Last updated at 17:13 ET
Amazon deforestation 'at record low'
Clearing land for agriculture is one of the reasons for deforestation in
the Amazon
 Continue reading the main
story<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-20512722#story_continues_1>
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 The destruction of Amazon rainforest has reached its lowest level since
monitoring began 24 years ago, the Brazilian government says.

Environment minister Izabella Teixeira said it was thanks to government
action against offenders.

Figures show the rate of deforestation fell 27% in the year to July
compared with the previous 12 months.

Even so, more than 4,600 sq km (1,780 sq miles) of rainforest have been
lost in a year.

"It is the lowest deforestation rate since Brazil began its monitoring," Ms
Teixeira told a press conference.

"I believe that it is the only good piece of environmental news."

Deforestation rates in the Amazon have been declining since 2004 but
critics say recent changes to Brazil's forest protection code could reverse
that trend.
 Continue reading the main
story<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-20512722#story_continues_2>
“Start Quote

Regrettably we have noticed that in states that didn't used to have an
aggressive level of deforestation there has been a rise”
Environment minister Izabella Teixeira

The latest data from the National Institute of Space Research relates to a
period before a change in the code which environmentalists say eases the
protection designed to prevent deforestation - a claim the government
disputes.

Ms Teixeira says the latest figures leave the government closer to its
target of reducing deforestation to 3,925 sq km by 2020.

Despite the reduction, in some Brazilian states there was a rise in
deforestation.

In Acre there was a rise of 10%; in Amazonas 29% and in Tocantins 33%.

"Regrettably we have noticed that in states that didn't have an aggressive
level of deforestation there has been a rise," Ms Teixeira said.

However, she welcomed a reduction in deforestation in two states which have
in the past seen much forest destroyed.

In Mato Grosso the reduction was 31% and in Para 44%.

Destruction of the world's forests releases large quantities of CO2, which
form part of the greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming.

Large-scale deforestation has helped make Brazil one of the world's top
greenhouse gas emitters.

Key causes of Amazon deforestation are illegal trafficking in timber and
minerals, fires and the spread of agriculture and stockbreeding.
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  Related Internet links

   - Avaaz - The World in Action <http://www.avaaz.org/en/>
   - Brazilian presidency (in
Portuguese)<http://www2.planalto.gov.br/imprensa/cafe-com-a-presidenta/programa-de-radio-201ccafe-com-a-presidenta201d-com-a-presidenta-da-republica-dilma-rousseff-39/view>