212 Amazonian activists murdered since 1996  Hundreds more living under the threat of assassination  More than 20% of the Amazon Rainforest has already disappeared  If deforestation continues at its current rate, loss of habitat could endanger more than 100 native species  Amazon Rainforest:—five-and-a-half million square kilometres / 1.4 billion acres—60% contained in Brazil, home to 1/3 of world’s rainforests. At Odds: —preservation versus obliteration;—long-term sustainability versus short-term profitability Brazil’s Economy: —1988-1991: decreased deforestation—economic slowdown—1993-1998: increased deforestation—rapid economic growth—World’s second-largest producer of beef and top exporter   The Deforestation Process:—Loggers come and leave with the most valuable trees; —Cattle ranchers move in and replace forest with pasture; The Land:—Amazon residents, pressed by economic hardships and no government support sell land to ranchers or allow the loggers to move in;—‘grileiros’: land-grabbers who take illegal possession through forged documents or by force and intimidation;—Vastness of Amazon: difficult-to-impossible to enforce regulations or police illegal activity, including gun violence; Other Crimes:—Inhumane working and living conditions for loggers as well; —Modern Slavery: impoverished migrant workers forced to clear therainforest in order to pay off debts to their employers;—18,000 modern-day slaves freed by Brazil’s government between 2005-2010;—Loggers moving deeper into the forest where defenders have been obliterated and new ones fear to venture.  _____________________________________________ Complied from “In Pictures: Pitting Preservation Against Destruction”, AljezeeraWATCH THE SLIDESHOW AT ALJEZEERA For more information or to get involved, visit RAN Rainforest Action Network #paceblog

212 Amazonian activists murdered since 1996

 Hundreds more living under the threat of assassination

 More than 20% of the Amazon Rainforest has already disappeared

 If deforestation continues at its current rate, loss of habitat could endanger more than 100 native species

 Amazon Rainforest:
—five-and-a-half million square kilometres / 1.4 billion acres
—60% contained in Brazil, home to 1/3 of world’s rainforests.

At Odds:
—preservation versus obliteration;
—long-term sustainability versus short-term profitability

Brazil’s Economy:
—1988-1991: decreased deforestation—economic slowdown
—1993-1998: increased deforestation—rapid economic growth
—World’s second-largest producer of beef and top exporter  

The Deforestation Process:
—Loggers come and leave with the most valuable trees;
—Cattle ranchers move in and replace forest with pasture;

The Land:
—Amazon residents, pressed by economic hardships and no government support sell land to ranchers or allow the loggers to move in;—‘grileiros’: land-grabbers who take illegal possession through forged documents or by force and intimidation;
—Vastness of Amazon: difficult-to-impossible to enforce regulations or police illegal activity, including gun violence;

Other Crimes:
—Inhumane working and living conditions for loggers as well;

—Modern Slavery: impoverished migrant workers forced to clear therainforest in order to pay off debts to their employers;
—18,000 modern-day slaves freed by Brazil’s government between 2005-2010;
—Loggers moving deeper into the forest where defenders have been obliterated and new ones fear to venture.

 _____________________________________________

Complied from “In Pictures: Pitting Preservation Against Destruction”, Aljezeera
WATCH THE SLIDESHOW AT ALJEZEERA

For more information or to get involved, visit RAN Rainforest Action Network

#paceblog

rainforestamazondeforestationloggingbeefpreservationactivismAlJezeeraslavery