Brazil Lost Rainforest Equal In Area To Half Switzerland In 2004

[hatrack]

BRASILIA (AFP) - Brazil lost more than 20,000 square kilometers (7,722 square miles) of Amazon rain forest (news - web sites) in 2004, but the government said it will win it back.

"For 2004, we do not have official data, but there is a trend that will come very close to 2003," when 23,750 square kilometers (9,169 square miles) environment minister Marina Silva said.

The area of rain forest lost to settlers and farmers is greater than half the area of Switzerland, which is 41,290 square kilometers (15,942 square miles).

"It is important to remember that deforestation was growing in 2001 and 2002 at 28 percent. In the first years under (President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva) it dropped to two percent," she said."

EDIT

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1540&ncid=1540&e=5&u=/afp/20050112/sc_afp/brazilamazonenvironment_050112072700

[Lorien]

1. At this rate, it will be gone by...?

truly terrifying. :-(

[shawcomm]

2. I don't know why we can't get the U.N.

in there to stop it. That's the sort of thing the U.N. does, make the planet better.

[flvegan]

3. Soybeans...gotta have something to feed the cattle that then

become hamburgers, etc. The most inefficient process of converting food to human energy.