22 July 2019, New Scientist Environment https://www.newscientist.com/article/2210621-deforestation-in-brazil-has-rocketed-since-bolsonaro-became-president/
Recently exposed soil (orange) and cattle ranches
(light green) around the Juruena River in Brazil
Oton Barros/DSR/OBT/INPE
Satellite
images suggest that deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest has shot
up since Jair Bolsonaro became president in January, despite his claim
on Friday that the data “lies”.
More
than 3700 square kilometres of forest has been deforested this year, an area
about a fifth the size of Wales, preliminary satellite data indicates. Even
before figures for the whole of July are in, the losses for the first seven
months of the year are up 16 per cent on the recent high of 3183 square
kilometres in 2016.
The
world’s greatest rainforest is not only home to a rich diversity of species and
around 400 indigenous groups, but is also a vast store of carbon that is vital
for tackling climate
