Amazon Reforestation

Matthew Supple
4/2/09

Brazil is the leading producer of soy and to keep up with the demand for the crop of the month, they require a lot of land. The most fertile land is inconveniently taken up by the Amazon rain forest. Luckily they have the technology to decimate the life in the way of their economic growth. This has of course peaked the attention of environmentalists around the world who have in turn pushed to have the laws already in place, which require at least 80% forest cover on farmers holdings. Instead of fining the farmers who have been ignoring the regulation, a deal has been struck that gives them one to three years to reforest their land. The Amazon is of particular interest because it contains 140 billion tons of carbon stored in the plants and is home to one third of the planets land creatures.

It's always good to hear about the environment winning one. The cooperation of the Amazonian states is very beneficial to the agenda of environmentalists. The estimation of 90% of the 140, 000 landowners is a promising figure for the programs success. The concern of the developed world is also a huge motivator for the push to protect the rainforest because if people pay attention to what the net loss of soy is to the world and with soy bringing in so much money it would a detrimental loss to the economy of those areas. And on top of this of course there is the priceless value the amazon has as one of the last true wonders of nature.

http://news.mongabay.com/2009/0402-katoomba.html