Ecologists fume as Brazil Senate OKs forestry reform

AFP Yahoo News 7 Dec 11;

The Brazilian Senate has passed a forestry reform bill which is backed by the country's powerful agribusiness sector but opposed by environmentalists who see it as a threat to preservation of the Amazon.

The legislation, which received 59 votes in favor and seven against in an overnight vote, still has to be approved by the Chamber of Deputies before being submitted to President Dilma Rousseff.

The current forestry code, which dates back to 1965, limits the use of lands for farming and mandates that up to 80 percent of the Amazon, the world's largest tropical rainforest, remain intact.

"This shameful vote legalizes environmental crime," said Senator Marinor Brito in explaining her no vote.

Speaking from Durban on the sidelines of a UN-sponsored climate change talks, Marina Silva, who ran as the candidate of Brazil's small Green Party in last year's presidential election, also slammed Senate approval of the reform.

"The bill that was approved yesterday by the Senate undermines protection of the forest, provides amnesty for those who deforest and will increase deforestation", she told a press conference.

"Our only hope is President Dilma, who during the election campaign had pledged to veto any measure which might increase deforestation or amnesty those who engage in deforestation," said Silva, who served as environment minister under former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

But the agrobusiness sector, which has a large representation in Congress, defends the reform, stressing the need to extend farm land to bolster Brazil's food security.

"With this, we are ending the confrontation between environmentalists and farmers," said Senator Jorge Viana, a sponsor of the bill, pointing out that the text strikes a balance between farm development and environmental conservation.

But ecologists are fiercely opposed to the reform, fearing an irreversible impact on government commitments to combat deforestation and global warming.

The new Forestry Code would reduce the area which must be preserved, protected and reforested and would effectively lift sanctions and obligations that were imposed on rural landowners under the 1965 code.

It would threaten 690,000 square kilometers (266,000 square miles) of forest, an area bigger than France, and prevent Brazil from meeting its target of reducing deforestation by 80 percent, environmentalists have warned.

Brazil said Monday that the pace of deforestation in its Amazon region fell to its lowest level since authorities began monitoring in 1988.

WWF warns on looming Amazon deforestation disaster as Brazil senate votes to dismantle protections
WWF 7 Dec 11;

Brasilia, Brazil: Brazil’s Senate has decided to pursue short term gain over long term security in a vote to do away with long standing protections for the Amazon and other key forested areas, WWF warned today.

The new law, promoted by some rural and agribusiness interests, opens vast new areas of forest to agriculture and cattle ranching and extends amnesties to illegal deforestation conducted prior to 2008. Areas formerly held to be too steep or vital to the protection of watersheds and watercourses are among those now open to destruction.

Polls showed a majority of the population opposed to the revision of the Forest Code, with a vocal majority of experts warning that the new version of the law will hinder Brazil’s long-term development and not help it.

“We have a powerful minority condemning the future of millions of Brazilians, all in the name of quick financial gain,” stated WWF-Brazil’s CEO, Maria Cecilia Wey de Brito. “No thought has been given to the social and economic costs of destroying our forests. The Senate has adopted, once again, the outdated and false notion that conservation and development are somehow at odds, something we know is not true.”

If signed into law by Brazil President Dilma Rousseff, the changes will jeopardize Brazil’s significant environmental achievements of recent years and severely undermine global efforts to fight climate change and halt biodiversity loss. The changes are also expected to expose poor Brazilians to larger risks from floods and droughts.

Brazil has committed to 2020 targets of a nearly 40 percent cut in its growth curve of greenhouse gas emissions and a reduction of Amazon deforestation levels by 80 percent compared to average rates registered for the period of 1996-2005. These are commitments of global interest, now almost certainly out of reach because of the revisions to the Forest Code.

The Senate decision also comes in the midst of international climate talks in Durban, South Africa, and precedes Brazil’s hosting of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, or “Rio+20”, in June 2012. Brazil’s credibility as it hosts this and other key global events (2014 World Cup, 2016 Summer Olympics) will be severely compromised if it passes environmental legislation favoring deforestation of the Amazon and other globally-important regions, WWF warned.

“WWF-Brazil has gone along with the legislative processes, has worked with others to help bring science to the political debate and has defined common points with good agribusiness and others,” said Wey de Brito. “Now we must urge President Rousseff to consider the severe implications of signing the revisions into law, including irreparable harm to Brazil’s natural resources, its economic development, and to the future health and well-being of millions of Brazilians and billions of people around the world.”

WWF-Brazil is supported by WWF’s entire international network in urging President Rousseff to act in Brazil’s interests rather than a sectional interest – noting that the President has already said she would not support an amnesty for illegal deforestation.

“We're at a time in history when the world seeks leadership in smart, forward-thinking development,” said WWF International Director-General Jim Leape. “Brazil was staking a claim to being such a leader.

“It will be a tragedy for Brazil and for the world if it now turns its back on more than a decade of achievement to return to the dark days of catastrophic deforestation.”