Deforestation in the world’s largest rainforest in Brazil has soared under President Jair Bolsonaro. In June the number of fires in the Amazon rainforest, one of the most diverse ecosystems on earth as well as a critical buffer against global warming, reached a 13-year high. After mounting criticism of Bolsonaro’s environmental policies and increasing pressure from national and international investors, the government has announced it will decree an “absolute moratorium” on burning the Amazon rainforest for 120 days. We spoke to Raquel Sirotti, doctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute For European Legal History, about the significance of the four-month ban and the President’s political strategy of short-term profits at the cost of the environment.
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Source: Phys.org