Amazon destruction speeds up
2002: 9,840 square miles (25,476 sq km) lost
2001: 7,010 square miles (18,166 sq km) lost
Every year, an area almost as big as Belgium (or Shikoku in Japan) is destroyed in the Amazon. In the last 15 years, that is an area exactly the size of the UK that has vanished.
Brazil's population is 3 times that of the UK or 1,3 times that of Japan. However, only about a quarter of Japan is used for agriculture (once mountains, forest and urban areas removed) and still, Japan produces most of it rice and soya (need confirmation though). How can Brazilian farmers be so unproductive, with such a favourably hot and wet climate. They should have huge surpluses. Not only do they cultivate an area 2/3 of Japan taken on the Amazon, but another much larger area, East and South of the country, far from the Amazon. With so much land (maybe more than China's arable land) and a relatively moderate population (8 times less than China's). Brazil should already be the breadbasket of the world. Why do they need to destroy more of the Amazon ?:angryfire
New satellite information from Brazil has revealed a sharp increase in the rate of destruction of the Amazonian rainforest.
2002: 9,840 square miles (25,476 sq km) lost
2001: 7,010 square miles (18,166 sq km) lost
The Amazon is the largest rainforest in the world and is home to 30% of all animal and plant life on the planet.
In the last 15 years, 243,000 square kilometres have been deforested, the equivalent of 5% of the Brazilian Amazon.
Every year, an area almost as big as Belgium (or Shikoku in Japan) is destroyed in the Amazon. In the last 15 years, that is an area exactly the size of the UK that has vanished.
Brazil's population is 3 times that of the UK or 1,3 times that of Japan. However, only about a quarter of Japan is used for agriculture (once mountains, forest and urban areas removed) and still, Japan produces most of it rice and soya (need confirmation though). How can Brazilian farmers be so unproductive, with such a favourably hot and wet climate. They should have huge surpluses. Not only do they cultivate an area 2/3 of Japan taken on the Amazon, but another much larger area, East and South of the country, far from the Amazon. With so much land (maybe more than China's arable land) and a relatively moderate population (8 times less than China's). Brazil should already be the breadbasket of the world. Why do they need to destroy more of the Amazon ?:angryfire