Prize recognizes largest contributor to Amazon rainforest destruction

Prize recognizes largest contributor to Amazon rainforest destruction
mongabay.com
May 27, 2005

The environmental group Greenpeace nominated President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and five others for its first “Golden Chainsaw” prize — to be awarded to the Brazilian deemed to have contributed most to the Amazon’s destruction.

TIME TO GET THIS CONTENT STARTED. TAMANDUA, AN AMAZON RESIDENT. PHOTO BY SUE WREN. Green party quits government to protest Amazon deforestation – 24-May-2005 According to a report from Reuters, legislators for Brazil’s Green Party have quit the government in protest of its failure to slow deforestation in the Amazon. Rainforest loss in the Amazon tops 200,000 square miles, new figures from Brazilian government – 20-May-2005 New figures from the Brazilian government show that 10,088 square miles of rain forest were destroyed in the 12 months ending in August 2004. Deforestation in the Amazon in 2004 was the second worst ever as rain forest was cleared for cattle ranches and soy farms. Vampire Fish discovered in the Amazon – 19-May-2005 A new species, dubbed the ‘vampire fish,’ was recently discovered in the Araguaia River of the Amazon Basin. Drought, fire called biggest threats to Amazon rainforest ecosystem – 23-April-2005 A prolonged drought in the Amazon could lead to a massive die-off in the world’s largest rainforest according to a study released in Science last week. Farmers and landless poor battle over the Amazon – 22-April-2005 Land battles in Brazil’s countryside reached the highest level in at least 20 years in 2004 as activists clashed with farmers and loggers advancing on savanna and Amazon rain forest, a nongovernmental group said Tuesday. Are rainforests still worth saving? – 20-April-2005 Rainforests around the world still continue to fall. Does it really make a difference? Another look at global rainforest conservation – 19-April-2005 With Earth Day approaching it is appropriate to take another look at conservation efforts in the world’s tropical rainforests, which today are disappearing from the face of the globe. Despite growing international concern, rainforests continue to be destroyed at a pace exceeding 80,000 acres (32,000 hectares) per day. So, what should be done?

Figures released last week from the Brazilian government showed that 10,088 square miles of rain forest were destroyed in the 12 months ending in August 2004. Deforestation in the Amazon in 2004 was the second worst ever as rain forest was cleared for cattle ranches and soy farms



Greenpeace nominated Lula, his chief of staff Jose Dirceu, Finance Minister Antonio Palocci, Agriculture Minister Roberto Rodrigues, Mato Grosso state Governor Blairo Maggi and Para state Governor Simao Jatene.



The prize will be given to “the Brazilian personality whose action or inaction were decisive in the incredible levels of deforestation in the Amazon,” according to a Greenpeace release.



THE NOMINEES:

Blairo Maggi
Governor of the State of Mato Grosso, absolute champion of
deforestation. (The state was responsible for 48 percent of the total
Amazon destruction
during 2003-04). Considered the “King of Soya”, he longs for the
presidency of Brazil.  Author of the celebrated phrase, “This
business of
forests does not have a future”.  And, if it depends on him, it
certainly won’t.


Roberto Rodrigues

Minister of Agriculture in Brasilia and soy farmer in Maranhão, he is
absolutely convinced that agribusiness is the salvation of farming. Refuses to recognise the relation between deforestation
and the advance of agribusiness.


José Dirceu

First minister in line of command in the Lula Government and Chief of
the Civil House. Co-ordinator of the “Plan of Action for the
Prevention and Control of Deforestation in the Legal Amazônia” and
greatly responsible for the lack of  its implementation.


Luís Inácio Lula da Silva

President of the Republic of Brazil and ultimately responsible for its
actions and inactions. Although he promotes a sustainable model for
the Amazon, the protection of the
environment in his government until now is considered a mere obstacle
to
economic development.


Antônio Palocci

Secretary of the Treasury and holder of the key to the
safe. He compliments  agribusiness and he applauds
increases in exports while the government institutions and
agencies who protect the environment receive less and less 
federal resources.


Simão Jatene

Governor of the State of Pará which has been historically the vice-leader in deforestation, but the winner of the prizes in the
categories: violence and murders in the field, slave labour, illegal
occupation of land and activities of inherent mismanagement in the
process of deforestation.

Paulo Adario, Greenpeace’s Amazon coordinator, warns “It’s a very difficult choice. All six are strong candidates.”

The award has two prizes: public – to be decided by direct vote on the internet – and environmental activists and journalists will make a “critics’ choice”. The winner, to be announced on June 6, will be awarded a statue made from illegally logged wood.

The article used information from Greenpeace and Reuters News Service

Last week the government of Brazil released figures showing deforestation in the Amazon rainforest reached the 10,088 square miles (26,129 square kilometers) for the year ending August 2004. Deforestation in the Amazon in 2004 was the second worst ever as rain forest was cleared for cattle ranches and soy farms. The background image shows deforestation associated with the Tierras Bajas project in eastern Bolivia where people have been resettled from the Altiplano to cultivate soybeans. The photo is from NASA’s Earth Observatory.