The deforestation of the Amazon has always been a significant issue. For those of you who may not know, the Amazon is “the world’s largest rainforest” (1). This also means that its ability to absorb greenhouse gases is tremendous and that the deforestation of it would be even more devastating, as “Its destruction releases dangerous amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere” (1). For several decades, conservation efforts have been consistently made. Then, you may ask: Why is deforestation still happening after all of these years if its environmental effect is so devastating for the entire planet?

It is because the economic incentive is simply too great. Constructing roads, obtaining valuable wood, clearing space for raising cattle and farming, creating dams, and creating mines are all reasons people clear the land of the amazon. Doing so boosts the economy of Brazil as the construction of roads and dams create jobs and reduce poverty, while mines, farms, and logging create valuable items the country could export to generate money. 

The debate is still in motion today. One side suggests that deforestation is necessary and required for the economy of Brazil to be maintained and to reduce the number of people in poverty, while the other side asserts that the amount of land cleared should already be enough to “sustain the country’s resource needs” (1). However, it seems like Jair Bolsonaro, the current president of Brazil, agrees with the first argument, as according to BBC, “The number of trees cut down in the Brazilian Amazon in January far exceeded deforestation for the same month last year” and that “The area destroyed was five times larger than 2021, the highest January total since records began in 2015” (2). Even though “Bolsonaro was one of the world leaders who promised to halt and reverse deforestation by the end of this decade,” it appears like he is not doing a good job keeping his promise as he “has weakened environmental protections for the region” ever since he took office (2).

This topic is obviously very complicated, and there is no simple answer to solve the issue of the deforestation of the Amazon. However, one thing to think about is whether making a lot of money and boosting the economy is valid even when climate change could become too severe in the future to reverse and plunge Earth into its sixth mass extinction.

Sources:

1) https://www.cfr.org/interactives/amazon-deforestation/#/en/section6

2) https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-60333422