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Brazil's environmental minister resigns after losing Amazon fight mongabay.com May 14, 2008
Silva, a former rubber tapper and famed environmentalist, was frequently at odds with development interests, including powerful farmers and ranchers who are seeking to turn the Amazon into Brazil's agricultural breadbasket. She unsuccessfully opposed several infrastructure projects that are expected to fuel deforestation in the Amazon region. Green groups say her resignation could be a setback to Brazil's efforts to protect the Amazon. "Her resignation is a disaster for the Lula administration. If the government had any global credibility in environmental issues, it was because of minister Marina," Jose Maria Cardoso da Silva, vice president of Conservation International-South America, told Reuters.
Silva's said her decision was based on the "the difficulties I have been facing to pursue the federal environmental agenda," according to Agencia Brasil. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio da Silva chose Carlos Minc, Rio de Janeiro state's environment secretary and a founder of the Green Party in Brazil, to be the new environment minister, according to Agencia Brasil. In the second half of 2007, Brazil saw a dramatic jump in deforestation following a three-year decline in forest clearing. Analysts have linked the increase to surging grain prices, which incentivize conversion of cattle pasture for soy and sugar cane. Ranchers then press into forests to clear new pasture land.
Tags: brazil Environmental Law environment south america forests cattle ranching governance latin america deforestation rainforests Roads amazon destruction Amazon Deforestation amazon environmental heroes threats to the amazon threats to the rainforest rainforest agriculture agriculture energy law infrastructure amazon soy green News index | RSS | News Feed | Twitter | Home Advertisements: Organic Apparel from Patagonia | Insect-repelling clothing
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