The case for and against exploiting the Brazilian rainforest to preserve it
"The Amazon is not simply a collection of trees," Unger, Brazil's minister for strategic affairs told the BBC. "It's a group of people: 25 million Brazilians. If those people lack economic opportunities, the consequence will increase the deforestation. What we must do is ensure that the forest standing is worth more than the forest cut down."
Among the plan's initiatives are:
- Develop the infrastructure of the region with new roads, navigable river routes and more hydroelectric dams
- Set up a tax regime benefiting those using sustainable practices
- Establish a framework for transferring parts of the forest from public to community control
- Add three million hectares to the "officially protected" zone
- Seek ways of allowing the international community to help preserve the forest.
See more views about the reasons for and against the use and deforestation of the Amazon rainforest here, as well as links to the life and work of Chico Mendez.
