New low levels for Amazon deforestation

Deforestation of the Amazon is decreasing againAmong all the doom and gloom climate change news nowadays – arctic record low levels,no commitment at COP18 in Doha, permafrost melting… – I chose to write today about some good news.

We have seen that the deforestation of the Amazon rainforest has been steadily decreasing for the past few years. Well, it seems it decreased even more in 2012 as the BBC and Grist reported.

A 27 percent cut compared to already record low levels is astonishing. But still, over 4,656 square kilometers (1,798 square miles) got cleared of all their trees between 2011 and 2012.

As the BBC reported :

“It is the lowest deforestation rate since Brazil began its monitoring,” Ms Teixeira told a press conference.”I believe that it is the only good piece of environmental news.”

Deforestation rates in the Amazon have been declining since 2004 but critics say recent changes to Brazil’s forest protection code could reverse that trend.

The latest data from the National Institute of Space Research relates to a period before a change in the code which environmentalists say eases the protection designed to prevent deforestation – a claim the government disputes.

Ms Teixeira says the latest figures leave the government closer to its target of reducing deforestation to 3,925 sq km by 2020.

Now is the time to stop deforestation in other hot spots around the world…

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