Environmental fines are 'ideological', says Brazil's new environment minister
Source: The Guardian
Environmental fines are 'ideological', says Brazil's new environment minister
Appointed by president-elect Bolsonaro, Ricardo Salles also says global warming is secondary
Dom Phillips in Rio de Janeiro
Mon 10 Dec 2018 17.52 GMT
Brazils new environment minister believes that global warming is secondary, that many environmental fines are ideological and has been accused of altering plans for an environmentally protected area in order to favour businesses.
Ricardo Salles, the former environment secretary for São Paulo state, was recommended for his new role by business and agribusiness groups and announced as minister in a tweet on Sunday by the far-right president-elect, Jair Bolsonaro.
Environmentalists said the appointment was a serious setback to protection at a time when deforestation and illegal mining in the Amazon were on the rise.
Bolsonaro has said protected Amazon areas hold up development, has advocated commercial farming and mining on indigenous reserves and attacked the fines industry of Brazils environmental agencies.
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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/dec/10/environmental-fines-are-ideological-says-brazil-minister-ricardo-salles