Drives me crazy to see how we report this stuff. Doom and gloom sells more papers than hope, of course.<p>Yes, we are still net deforesting the Amazon rainforest... At the slowest rate since we began measuring. In 2016 we deforested about 6000km2. TFA says that in 2018 we deforested about 3700km2. This is down from the 1995 peak of 28,000 km2/yr. Remember all those programs to save the rainforest? Turns out they're working really well, and TFA proves it.<p>BBC opted not to print the headline "Amazon deforestation still improving, now at lowest rate ever!" And opted for the scary/outrageous version we see above. Both are true, but one tells you that our anti-deforestation efforts work, and have been improving the situation for decades. The other says everything is hopeless. Which one do you think is better for encouraging further action?<p>We're not done yet, there's still a terrible amount of deforestation going on, but we are definitely getting there!<p>(Fancy chart: <a href="https://ourworldindata.org/uploads/2013/11/annual-rate-of-legal-deforestation-in-the-amazon-in-km2-per-year-197788-2013-inpe0.png" rel="nofollow">https://ourworldindata.org/uploads/2013/11/annual-rate-of-le...</a> )
> An area of Amazon rainforest roughly the size of a football pitch is now being cleared every single minute, according to satellite data.<p>A football pitch is 7,140 square meters so that’s 10,281,600 square meters per day. That’s 10.3 square kilometers per day, which assuming 24/7/365 work progress comes out to 3752 square kilometers per year. According to Wikipedia the Amazon rainforest is about 5.5M square kilometers so that’s 0.0682% per year assuming zero regrowth.<p>Honestly that does not seem like a lot.
As a citizen of the United States (a country that cut down nearly all of its old-growth forests) what can I do as an individual to slow down deforestation in the Amazon? What are some real solutions I could enact that would make any difference?<p>The situation feels hopeless until the Brazilian government makes a sweeping effort to preserve the Amazon and that it's laws are fully enforced.
Want to make a difference on climate change as a technologist? Feel free to join these communities actively looking for support and with ongoing projects (that are alive):<p>- <a href="https://climateaction.tech/" rel="nofollow">https://climateaction.tech/</a><p>- <a href="https://techimpactmakers.com/" rel="nofollow">https://techimpactmakers.com/</a><p>- <a href="https://www.tmrow.com/" rel="nofollow">https://www.tmrow.com/</a>
I'd much prefer that we prevent pristine forrest destruction knowing what I know about habitats. Perhaps we can create a sustainable harvesting cycle inside of already cleared areas.
Amazingly, no mention of the Intercept revelations that Bolsonaro won because of judicial corruption by the judge Sergio Moro, who eliminated Lula from the election, and much more as part of his Lavo Jato investigation. I.e., this was essentially a coup. Again. The DOJ also had their hand all over Lavo Jato. Guess that Pink Tide had to be turned.<p><a href="https://theintercept.com/2019/06/17/brazil-sergio-moro-lula-operation-car-wash/" rel="nofollow">https://theintercept.com/2019/06/17/brazil-sergio-moro-lula-...</a><p><a href="https://fair.org/home/these-revelations-really-show-the-election-was-fraudulent/" rel="nofollow">https://fair.org/home/these-revelations-really-show-the-elec...</a>