Forum Topic

Deforestation of the Amazon

Avaaz has the following petition:https://secure.avaaz.org/campaign/en/amazon_apocalypse_loc/?bkCEEab&v=118168&cl=16094702805&_checksum=2d03686798fb32d89c6dc08bee71b9a46b015bee23b9b1e12977c1588159ea54"It's horrifying -- in the past year, an area the size of 500,000 soccer fields has been destroyed in the Amazon! Nearly half a BILLION trees torn down and gone... forever."Terrifying! Would you mind signing the petition, please?  Thank you.

Ivonne Holliday ● 2661d9 Comments

I have been campaigning for some years in regard to deforestation. Started off when I realised the overuse of palm oil, which in some shape or form is used in virtually all articles in  daily use,from toiletries to food etc In 2014 various agreements were made with companies to cut back and manage forests. Until relatively recently these agreements were honoured. Incidentally, palm oil can legally be described on merchandise as vegetable oil so it is sometimes difficult to appreciate you are using it.Brazil particularly is extremely bad at deforestation.So very very sad and obviously a cause of climate change

Barbara Shillabeer ● 2661d

The deforestation in Brazil is very frightening indeed.  Brazil, however, does not do so for palm oil.Indonesia and Malaysia do deforestation for palm oil, which is heart breaking!

Ivonne Holliday ● 2661d

yes.  I am aware of the reasons for Brazil's rate of deforestation.  Actually they were far better than other countries but owing to political policy now has escalated.  This actually puts into jeopardy further alliances with Europe. On the whole I do not like putting my beliefs on the forum. They were generally forged by lifetime experiences and so are pretty entrenched. I have a wry smile on my face when I think about Extinction Rebellion.  Deforestation had been internationally accepted since 2007, with some successes but definitely not enough.  Change does take time unfortunately.  I was protesting 20 years or so against live exportation of animals for slaughter.  It still continues.

Barbara Shillabeer ● 2660d

https://twitter.com/IPCC_CHFollow the discussions and events around the globe on climate change above.Just think how long and how much lobbying it took recently to get something as simple as a plastic bag tax in order to discourage their use.  There are vested interests everywhere and lobbying needs to be from all sides to be fair - and not just one!

Philippa Bond ● 2658d

Brazil back in the news as head of agency monitoring deforestation quits his job after an argument with the President Bolsonaro over the amount of deforestation.

Philippa Bond ● 2658d

Will he, won't he take the G7 money and aid and stop the fires burning in the Amazon forest?

Philippa Bond ● 2633d

I very much doubt it Philippa.Put together Latin American macho plus Trump mentalities which describes Bolsanaro's approach at the moment.  He will not stop the Amazon fires. His response was very clear, reforest Europe.....  Enough said.

Ivonne Holliday ● 2632d

I've signed it but I doubt whether it will do much good. Bolsanaro and Trump are too well funded by the business "mafia" to back down - and let's be honest Trump's failure to attend the climate change part of the G7 discussions sends a strong message of support to the Brazilian president. However, I suppose in a way it's Europe's colonial history catching up with it and being told to mind its own business? A OU astronomy/astrophysics  tutor I know asks his students the question: why areas looming for intelligent life elsewhere in the universe? It's because we haven't yet found it ... Anyway some of us were wrong, we've been worried about Trump initiating a nuclear exchange, but it looks like a big fire is our biggest threat to human existance; either way my money's on the cockroaches!

Michael Ixer ● 2632d

"but it looks like a big fire is our biggest threat to human existance; either way my money's on the cockroaches!"A scene in western Ireland, from the end of John Brunner's SF novel "The sheep look up":-Opening the door to the visiting doctor, all set to apologize for the flour on her hands—she had been baking—Mrs. Byrne sniffed. Smoke! And if she could smell it with her heavy head cold, it must be a tremendous fire!”We ought to call the brigade!” she exclaimed. “Is it a hayrick?””The brigade would have a long way to go,” the doctor told her curtly. “It’s from America. The wind’s blowing that way.” That was spinechilling when I read it. Now perhaps it is less so.

David Ainsworth ● 2632d