US wants to target environmental criminals behind deforestation in Brazil
The Amazon has become a hotspot for illegal activities, from deforestation to mining. The US thinks it can help.
Fermin Koop by Fermin Koop November 25, 2022 in Environment, Environmental Issues, News, Science Reading Time: 4 mins read
Deforestation in Brazil reached a 15-year high during outgoing President Jair Bolsonaro, who pushed for legal and illegal mining and logging in the Amazon – a crucial biome for the entire role that plays a key role against climate change. Now, the US has decided to take a stronger stand and sanction environmental criminals across the country.
Image credit: CIFOR.
The plan, unveiled by Reuters, represents a change in the US strategy to tackle climate change, adding sanctions to its toolkit of tax incentives and multilateral agreements. Back in August, the US approved its largest climate investment plan in history, a much-needed policy change from the Trump days. This was followed by a recent pledge by President Biden at COP27 to boost US climate action.
The US approach will be hailed by Brazil’s new leadership.
President-elect Lula da Silva will be taking office in January, replacing Bolsonaro, and in terms of the environment, it seems to be a full U-turn. As Biden, Lula was also at COP27, where he vowed to implement strong environmental policies – including restoring the Amazon rainforest and prosecuting the many environmental criminals.
The US, Brazil, and the Amazon
Brazil is home to the biggest part of the Amazon rainforest, one of the most biodiverse places on Earth. It provides a shelter for millions of animals and plant species that play a big role in regulating the global climate. However, extractive activities are gradually turning the Amazon into an area releasing carbon dioxide instead of capturing it.
While Lula has pledged to act as soon as he takes office, there are still open questions on how he will pull it off. Bolsonaro will leave office soon but his political party remains strong in Congress, meaning he could block any legislation proposed by Lula. Also, the country is dealing with economic challenges, which could limit any new ambitious plans.
More:
https://www.zmescience.com/science/us-wants-to-target-environmental-criminals-behind-deforestation-in-brazil/
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