Amazon losing 1,500 sq km each year

[cory777]

Source: IANS/EFE

Lima, July 23 (IANS/EFE) Around 1,500 sq km (579 sq miles) of the Amazon forest is lost each year due to deforestation and environmental degradation in Peru.

Peru has 68 million hectares (262,550 sq miles) of Amazon rainforest, and it is “absolutely unacceptable” that an expanse 10 times the size of Callao, a leading port city west of Lima, disappears each year “as a result of deforestation and the degradation of our natural forests”, a report by the National Ombud’s Office said.

Ombudsman Beatriz Merino said that 42 percent of greenhouse gas emissions are due to the degradation of forest soils and that the situation is especially worrying because forests are the life blood of Amazon’s indigenous communities.

Faced with an alleged lack of government aid and public services, Amazon communities cut down trees to cover their basic necessities even though they know they should protect those resources, the report said.

Read more: http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/enviornment/amazon-losing-1500-sq-km-each-year_100400312.html

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[jimlup]

1. I just returned from a one-week trip to the Peruvian Rainforest...

This is totally consistent with what I observed. Many of the people there are desperate. The city of Inquitos is expanding at an alarming rate because all of of the children of the Amazon want to live there in an attempt to have a Western lifestyle. The Peruvian government seems worse than helpless as an agent that might remedy that situation.

[mike_c]

2. oh come on-- I don't believe it....

What would an internet marketing company want with that much land in the first place, huh? Answer that, smartypants!

[Roland99]

3. heh

tragic story, though. I'm sure this will garner much press. I mean, who cares about Lindsay Lohan being in jail for a month? No one, I'm sure.




Oh wait....