Photo: Kunal Shinde
Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest surged to its highest annual level in a decade over the past year. From August 2020 to July 2021, 10,476 square kilometers were destroyed, a 57% increase over the previous 12-month period. Vegetation loss could result in a 55% to 70% reduction in annual precipitation. Bolsonaro has strongly encouraged economic development including logging, mining, expansion of agricultural activity, and construction of a major highway and dam in the region. To help combat Amazon deforestation, you could eliminate or limit beef consumption, buy wood products made from trees in replanted forests, and vote for politicians prioritizing an environmental agenda over economic development.
www.commondreams.org/news/2021/08/20/out-control-brazilian-amazon-deforestation-hits-highest-level-decade