<
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jul/12/colombia-deforestation-amazon-rainforest-peace>
"As the tiny aeroplane wobbles, shudders and occasionally plummets in the
low-altitude turbulence, Rodrigo Botero points to the scars left by Colombia’s
failed efforts to halt a surge in deforestation in the Amazon rainforest over
the past six years.
The conservationist shouts into his radio earpiece and gestures at the window
towards uniform, neatly cut pastures that have been cleared for cattle
ranching.
Grey smoke drifts upwards into the sky from patches where land-grabbers are
burning off the undergrowth – a common sight after a 2016 peace accord sparked
a free-for-all in Colombia’s forests.
“A year ago the columns of smoke were so great that we couldn’t even breathe in
the cockpit,” recalls Botero, who is leading an aerial survey of Colombia’s
Amazon rainforest and directs the Foundation for Conservation and Sustainable
Development (FCDS).
Today, however, it is harder for Botero to point out recent deforestation and
the veteran conservationist has some good news for a visiting delegation of
Norwegian government officials: Colombia could finally be turning the tide on
deforestation in the Amazon.
“This is really dramatic,” he says excitedly. “It’s the highest reduction in
deforestation and forest fires that there has been in two decades.”
Government figures released on Wednesday show that deforestation is slowing
nationwide, falling 26% in the Colombian Amazon last year and 29% across the
country."
Via
Future Crunch:
https://futurecrunch.com/good-news-clean-energy-aids-big-cats-africa/
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
