In 2005, Sister Dorothy Stang, an American nun, was killed after she fought to preserve a piece of jungle that ranchers wanted to clear for logging and cattle ranching. Sister Dorothy was not the first forest activist to be murdered by hired hands serving the rich cattle ranchers’ interests. But, finally, for the first time in history, Brazil has actively pursued justice in this case. Although the suspected ranchers were initially acquitted, evidence that surged after the trial has led Brazil to re-open the case. See this story.This is an important step forward for Brazil. For far too long, the culture and atmosphere that resulted in Sister Dorothy’s murder has allowed the culprits to perform their actions with impunity.With this latest development, Brazil is sending a strong message to the powerful Amazon cattle ranchers that there are consequences to their illegal actions and brutal intimidation.
Posts Tagged: Forest economics
February 16, 2009 by Jordan Erdos
Flight or Fright?
An editorial in today’s New York Times indicates that, according to the Audubon Society, there is an enormous population shift taking place among many bird species. The boreal chickadee, for example, has moved 280 miles north from its natural habitat and the marbled murrelet has moved 360 miles north of its natural habitat. In fact, according to the study, nearly 60% of the 305 species found in North America in winter have shifted their ranges northward by an average of 35 miles.There is little doubt that these population shifts are due to the changing global climate, resulting from greenhouse gases captured in the earth’s atmosphere. While some of these bird species are able to adapt easily to the changing conditions, ultimately many species may be harmed as they migrate further and further away from their natural habitat.The evidence for global climate change is irrefuteable; the time to act is now. Responsible for over 1/5 of the carbon dioxide (the primary greenhouse gas) in our atmosphere, destruction of the world’s forests must be slowed. In addition to releasing all of the carbon stored in trees, the forests provide a home to many of the world’s animal and plant species. It is time to stop the destruction and find solutions to keep the forest standing.
For a complete copy of the Audubon report, click here.
November 28, 2008 by Jordan Erdos
Brazil Amazon destruction rises after 3-year fall
http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSTRE4AR5W420081128“‘We need to make it more expensive to cut a tree than to preserve it,’ said [Amazon researcher Paulo] Moutinho.”
