Change in Leadership, Change in Environmental Policy

Earlier this week Brazil elected a new president, Jair Bolsonaro. A far-right candidate, Bolsonaro’s plans for the country are infuriating environmentalists. Organizations such as the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) are worried that business interests will take priority over preserving one of our greatest preventions for global warming, the Amazon Rainforest.

Bolsonaro has announced his plans for opening up parts of the Amazon Rainforest for agribusiness (producing seeds and equipment for farming) and mining. Creating room for this new business means deforestation, which would release literal tons of carbon into the atmosphere and causing  not only local, but globally disastrous results.

Deforestation would harm the climate, but it would also destroy the habitat home to 1 in 10 known animal species  known on the planet.

Outline of the Amazon Rainforest

4 Comments Add yours

  1. callie.oliver says:

    I had no idea this was going on! I’m definitely going to watch this policy issue to see what comes out of it and what changes or doesn’t.

  2. madison.smith says:

    One would think after all this time we’d learn the impact deforestation causes, especially to the rainforest. It’s scary to read that it is still continuing!

  3. Tabitha Weaver says:

    I feel like our own political events have overshadowed Brazil’s election in the news. This situation is definitely worth monitoring!

  4. Dr. Katherine Cruger says:

    Thank you for this, Tabitha! This could be multi-part coverage, since sustainability means people, planet, profit, right? And there are significant human rights concerns on the horizon as well from my understanding.

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