(REUTERS/Bruno Kelly)Since 1978, the Amazon has lost some 289,000 square miles to cattle ranchers, soy producers, loggers, and industrial activity. Such rapid deforestation sparked a global "Save the Rainforest" movement in the late '80s and '90s that led to T-shirts, posters, concerts, and celebrity-led foundations.Such attention proved successful. In 1989, Brazil, which is home to roughly two-thirds of the rainforest, launched the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Natural Resources (known as "Ibama") — a federal agency equipped with a fierce legion of armed environmental police. Deforestation immediately began to slow.Then, in 2004, the government increased forest patrol again, cracked down on illegal harvesting activity, and offered incentives to farmers who otherwise survived off milling Amazonian lands.Together with market forces, which made Amazon staples like beef and soy less profitable, these initiatives reduced deforestation by nearly two-thirds between 2005 and 2012.
(REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino)The Brazilian government has also eased its stance on protecting the trees in recent years, waiving fines for illegal deforestation and delaying its plan to completely halt destructive activity until 2030. In August, Brazil officially opened parts of the Amazon to mineral miners, causing outrage among environmentalists. (The rainforest is home to hundreds of thousands of rare plants and animal species, and absorbs more greenhouse gases than any other tropical forest in the world.)"Forest loss is detrimental to the Earth's climate," The New York Times reports. "The clearing of woodlands and the fires that accompany it generate one-tenth of all global warming emissions, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists, making the loss of forests one of the biggest single contributors to climate change."Below, see how the Amazon's defenders battle for the jungle's future.
(REUTERS/Bruno Kelly)
(REUTERS/Bruno Kelly)
(REUTERS/Bruno Kelly)
(REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino)
(REUTERS/Bruno Kelly)
(REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino)
-
'Natural disasters don't happen only in the movies'Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Trump vs. the arts: Fresh strikes against PBS and the NEAFeature Trump wants to cut funding for public broadcasting and the arts, which would save a little but cost a lot for red states
-
MLB lifts ban on Pete Rose, other dead playersspeed read 16 deceased players banned for gambling and other scandals can now be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designationThe Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across SyriaTHE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
-
'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weaponsThe Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
-
The arrest of the Philippines' former president leaves the country's drug war in disarrayIn the Spotlight Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by the ICC earlier this month
-
Ukrainian election: who could replace Zelenskyy?The Explainer Donald Trump's 'dictator' jibe raises pressure on Ukraine to the polls while the country is under martial law
-
Why Serbian protesters set off smoke bombs in parliamentTHE EXPLAINER Ongoing anti-corruption protests erupted into full view this week as Serbian protesters threw the country's legislature into chaos
-
Who is the Hat Man? 'Shadow people' and sleep paralysisIn Depth 'Sleep demons' have plagued our dreams throughout the centuries, but the explanation could be medical
