Brazil Amazon deforestation soars

barnettgs · 24 Jan 2008 at 16:40

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7206165.stm

The Brazilian government has announced a huge rise in the rate of Amazon deforestation, months after celebrating its success in achieving a reduction.

In the last five months of 2007, 3,235 sq km (1,250 sq miles) were lost.

People haven't learned then?

I guess it's the greed that takes over.

Emlyn_Dewar · 24 Jan 2008 at 16:52

What is the solution though?
Are there ways they could effectively police it so that the farmers wise up?

Edit: Also, has there ever been studies into deforestation and global warming? Surely it's a key world issue and should be taken far more seriously? Just look at how much we're made to feel guilty for using normal light bulbs or driving our cars.
Destroying rainforest? Meh, we're not interested...

Nitefly · 24 Jan 2008 at 16:53

Well, as population increases we need more food. Its a rather sad fact that more areas must be cleared for farming.

Unless anyone else has any other better ideas?

Emlyn_Dewar · 24 Jan 2008 at 16:56

Birth control

Nitefly · 24 Jan 2008 at 16:58

Emlyn_Dewar said:
Birth control

So how do you propose to solve the poverty which causes these issues?

PaulStat · 24 Jan 2008 at 16:59

It saddens me to hear this. What happens when it's all gone?

1) The world will probably be screwed
2) It will likely make a few species of animals extinct
3) The loggers who are doing this in the first place will be out of a job

Nitefly · 24 Jan 2008 at 17:06

PaulStat said:
1) The world will probably be screwed

Why?

2) It will likely make a few species of animals extinct

A bad thing for utilitarian or intrinsic reasons?

3) The loggers who are doing this in the first place will be out of a job

I suppose farming will take quite a fair share of jobs, but there may well be a difficult transition of employment.

PaulStat · 24 Jan 2008 at 17:15

Nitefly said:
Why?

Well a good one I can think of is the rain forest next to the oceans is one of the main CO2 absorbing things (can't for the life of me word that better

), therefore speeding up global warming.

Nitefly · 24 Jan 2008 at 17:17

PaulStat said:
Well a good one I can think of is the rain forest next to the oceans is one of the main CO2 absorbing things (can't for the life of me word that better ), therefore speeding up global warming.

Indeed, this is one of the reasons we should cut our own carbon emissions.

Bunka · 24 Jan 2008 at 17:33

Nitefly said:
Indeed, this is one of the reasons we should cut our own carbon emissions.

Or plant more trees.

stevenazari1 · 24 Jan 2008 at 17:34

its because of people like us printing loads of paper, and the "anonymous" fighting against scientology using up their paper! THATS WHAT IT IS - ITS THE PEOPLE AGAINST SCIENTOLOGY!!!! GOGO T0M CRUZ3 0N ** SP33CH M4R4TH0N 0N WUT 4N0NYM0US Z D01NG 2 D 4M4Z0NZ!

Nitefly · 24 Jan 2008 at 17:47

Bunka said:
Or plant more trees.

So plant more trees, farm less, and starve? A huge generalisation, of course.

Beerguzzler · 24 Jan 2008 at 18:12

Its hardly like we would starve, so much food gets wasted now its unreal. I really hope they stop it before its all destroyed.

Chris

Indy500 · 24 Jan 2008 at 18:14

Most of the loggers aren't even native farmers anyway. Foreign-owned cattle ranches for the lose. The rainforest has also been a rich source of natural remedies and a home to tribes for generations...

eddiemcgarrigle · 24 Jan 2008 at 18:17

Yes, plant more trees and shoot the farmers who try to cut them down. If they are farmers in the first place then they've obviously got land to begin with so give them a more abundant crop of some kind (just not poppies) and tell them to get on with it. Avarice will be mankinds downfall and brought on by the fact that without the rainforests, we will quickly run out of oxygen (well, it is a lot of trees isn't it). Give the trees a hug and punch the farmers.