Brazilian Deforestation Only Growing As Bolsonaro Gov Lies About Data, Policy, Laws

[hatrack]

The latest INPE (National Institute for Space Research) deforestation data for the Brazilian Amazon, released last Friday, comes as the result of the policies of President Jair Bolsonaro, say critics. According to DETER, INPE’s real-time forest monitoring system, from August 1, 2019 to July 31, 2020, forest loss in the region totaled 9,205 square kilometers (3.554 square miles), an increase of 34.5% over the previous comparative period (2018/2019), when 6,844 square kilometers (2,642 square miles) were deforested.

DETER detected 1,654 square kilometers of forest cleared in July, 2020 alone, a decline from the 2,255 square kilometers detected the same month a year ago. Still, forest loss in the region makes the 2019/2020 deforestation year the highest since at least 2007.

“Reaching the middle of the year with so many [deforested] open areas means that this year’s official deforestation rate [to be confirmed by the Prodes system, also from INPE, in November] will be higher than last year, which hit double digits, reaching to almost 11,000 square kilometers (4,247 square miles). We can reach a number not seen by Brazil for over a decade,” stated the Institute of Environmental Research of the Amazon (IPAM). This “season in the Amazon will not be recovered,” added Ane Alencar, IPAM director of Science. “Whoever clears the forest wants to recover their investment, and that involves burning deforested vegetation to clear the land, which will happen sooner or later, with or without a fire moratorium. Curbing fires begins with controlling deforestation.” Most Amazon fires are set by people, and used as a tool to convert forest to agricultural lands.

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Salles Meets With Illegal Miners

The day after Salles’ visit, the Ministry of Defense announced the suspension of operations to combat illegal mining in that part of Pará state. According to the ministry, the operations were suspended for “reevaluation” to be conducted with a group of “representatives of the region” to be flown to the nation’s capital Brasília by the Air Force for a meeting with authorities. The ministry did not reveal who those “representatives” would be and with whom they would meet. The Federal Public Ministry of Pará (MPF-PA) criticized the Defense Ministry decision and Salles’ meeting with illegal miners, classifying it as “surreal.” Last Friday, the Ministry of Defense announced the restart of its operations in the area where the miners are working.

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https://news.mongabay.com/2020/08/as-amazon-tree-loss-worsens-political-pressure-grows-and-brazil-hedges-critics/

[Iliyah]

1. Bolsonaro claims to be a man of GOD . ..

yet he is destroying one of God's wonders. Environmental aspect, destroying one of the rain forest harms the indigenous people and wildlife and the world.

[appalachiablue]

2. For predators, scavengers there's never enough