OMG Good News! Amazon Deforestation Drops 46% In One Year

[Lorax7844]

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/09/amazon-deforestation-drops-46-percent-in-one-year.php

Despite the fact that logging rates in the Amazon skyrocketed in June, the figures put out by the Deforestation Detection in Real Time (DETER) and the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) say that it looks like 2008-2009 was a great year for the rainforests, with logging rates dropping 46%. Could this rate - as low as it's been since these groups started monitoring in 2004 - signal a new page turned over for the Amazon?

:party: :party: :party: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :toast: :toast: :toast: :party: :party: :party: :toast: :toast: :toast: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :party: :party: :party:

[Barack_America]

1. I'm assuming there is still Amazon forest left to be deforested.

[roguevalley]

7. I had to read that headline twice to understand this was good news.

Thank you for this good news.

[proud patriot]

2. Wow , nice

:)

[Dogmudgeon]

3. That figure responds to economics, not environmentalism

In a very sick and perverse way, it's bad news -- there isn't enough venture capital to fuel the rape of the Amazon.

--d!

[Lorax7844]

4. Rain meet parade.

[progressoid]

5. Unfortunately, one of the bigger (if not biggest) factor in environmental change will be money

For most people, they will only change their lifestyle when it gets too expensive.

[HamdenRice]

10. No, it was environmentalism, not economics

See post 9. Moreover, as has been reported for over a year, Brazil's economy has been relatively unaffected by the international economic crisis:

http://www.businessworld.in/index.php/Economy/In-Global-Crisis-Brazil-s.html

In Global Crisis, Brazil's Flaws Become A Blessing

Thursday, 30 July 2009

Some of Brazil's long-regarded Achilles' heels have cushioned the South American heavyweight from the full force of the current economic crisis but could trip it up again in the future unless reformed.

The contours of the world financial collapse were seemingly tailor-made for Latin America's largest economy, where a flock of government banks, lofty reserve requirements, steep taxes, high interest rates and a relatively closed economy all mitigated the negative effects that have torn through developed economies like those in the United States and Europe.

[Swamp Rat]

6. I do not trust this conclusion reported by that website.

Logging has not stopped, and there are thousands of out-of-control fires throughout Brasil.

One can see the logging from space now.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

8. Solely based on the current economic conditions, if I was guessing.

[HamdenRice]

9. Viva Lula!

Actually, this is not just based on the economic downturn. The logging of the Brazilian rainforest has always been based on complicated institutional problems, especially land tenure. The solutions were always available, but there was never a strong enough or non-corrupt enough government to put new arrangements into place. Here are the takeaway paragraphs:

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/09/amazon-deforestation-drops-46-percent-in-one-year.php

Over the last year, IBAMA seized 62 boats, 237 trucks and 44 tractors, and the federal police initiated 650 probes and arrested 298 people.

According to Minister Minc, further reductions in the deforestation rate are expected this year through Macro Ecological-economic Zoning in the Amazon Region (to be concluded by January 2010), Arco Verde Legal Land Operation (which served 146 thousand people in 26 of the most deforested municipalities), the Amazon Fund to finance preservation activities, and land property regularization.

[rucky]

11. Construction down. n/t