The Guardian view on protecting the Amazon: forest defenders must have support
It doesn't start for six months, but the build-up to the UN's annual climate conference is already well under way in Brazil. Hosting the tens of thousands of delegates who make the trip is a big undertaking for any city. But the decision to host Cop30 in Belém, at the mouth of the Amazon river, has multiplied the complications.
After three consecutive Cops in autocratic nations, the stated aim of Cop30's chair, André Aranha Corrêa do Lago, is to make this year's event a showcase for civil society, including the Indigenous groups and forest defenders who play such a vital role in conservation. But the lack of affordable accommodation and other infrastructure, as well as the distance that must be travelled to reach the Amazon port, mean this commendable ideal will be hard to realise.
Dom Phillips' posthumously published book, How To Save the Amazon: A Journalist's Deadly Quest for Answers, is a compelling reminder of what is at stake. It is nearly three years since he was killed along with Bruno Pereira, a Brazilian government employee whose job was monitoring isolated Indigenous groups. The pair were on the way back from a trip to the remote Javari valley. The search and investigation were initially botched. Two men will go on trial for murder later this year.
Phillips and Pereira understood the risks they ran, in struggling to document the destruction that was then taking place. Between 2019 and 2023, under the far-right presidency of Jair Bolsonaro, progress on rainforest conservation went into sharp reverse and deforested areas grew rapidly. Illegal loggers, miners and ranchers effectively had carte blanche, as the agencies tasked with upholding environmental regulations were weakened and disbanded. Over the same period, and encouraged by the government's laissez-faire approach, competition between drug traffickers over lucrative smuggling routes intensified. Owing to its remoteness, the Javari reserve, near the border with Peru, became a key battleground.
Under President Lula the situation has stabilised. His environment minister, Marina Silva, is the right person to oversee the government's policy of zero net deforestation by 2030. But plans to expand the country's fossil fuel production are impossible to square with these environmental goals. The risk that global heating and deforestation could cause a mass dieback of the rainforest, triggering the release of vast stores of carbon, continues to trouble scientists. At the same time, doubts are growing about whether this year's deadline for certification of the beef supply chain as deforestation-free will be met. Under strong international pressure, JBS, the world's largest meat company, is putting new systems in place. But the huge number of farmers (Brazil has a cattle herd of 240m), the terrain, gaps in land registration, and systems set up to bypass checks, mean the prospects for success are not high.
Having the global spotlight on the forest should at least focus minds. The Amazon's biodiversity, and role in climate regulation, make it too important to lose. Indigenous defenders, some of whom worked with Pereira and Phillips, continue the vital work of championing the landscape that is their home. The journalist's book, completed by his friends, shows the urgency of supporting their courageous efforts.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Labour rebel forces Commons vote amid fears of housebuilding reforms ‘wreckage'
Labour MPs have rebelled against the Government over its plans to override nature protections, amid fears its housebuilding reforms amount to a 'wreckage'. Housing minister Matthew Pennycook said developers will be able to pay into a new nature recovery fund to bolster conservation efforts, which he denied was a 'cash to trash model'. But North East Hertfordshire MP Chris Hinchliff forced a division on his amendment 69, which would compel developers to improve the conservation status of environmental features on their land before causing 'damage'. MPs voted to reject the amendment, with 180 in favour, 307 against, majority 127. Mother of the House Diane Abbott, Ian Lavery (Blyth and Ashington) and Kim Johnson (Liverpool Riverside) were among the 14 Labour MPs who rebelled against the Government. In addition to Mr Hinchliff, Labour's Olivia Blake (Sheffield Hallam), Richard Burgon (Leeds East), Ian Byrne (Liverpool West Derby), Brian Leishman (Alloa and Grangemouth), Clive Lewis (Norwich South), Rachael Maskell (York Central), Andy McDonald (Middlesbrough and Thornaby East), Kate Osborne (Jarrow and Gateshead East), Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Clapham and Brixton Hill), Marie Rimmer (St Helens South and Whiston), and Nadia Whittome (Nottingham East) also voted in favour of the amendment. Mr Hinchliff told the Commons that the fund was a 'kernel of a good idea', but added: 'The weight of evidence against how it has been drafted is overwhelming.' The money will help Natural England set up new environmental delivery plans (EDPs), which Mr Hinchliff said should come with a timeline for their implementation. He said the proposal will give 'ministers the opportunity to rescue something positive from the wreckage of this legislation, ensuring environmental delivery plans serve their purpose without allowing developers to pay cash to destroy nature'. He added: 'It would ensure conservation takes place before damage, so endangered species aren't pushed close to extinction before replacement habitats are established, and it outlines that conservation must result in improvements to the specific feature harmed, protecting irreplaceable habitats like chalk streams.' Mr Hinchliff had also called for a residents' right of appeal against green-lit large developments, if they are not on sites which a council has set aside for building, and new town hall powers to block developers' plans, if they have failed to finish their previous projects. Mr Pennycook had earlier said the 'status quo' for the environment and development was not working, and instead proposed reforms which he described as a 'win-win' for both. He said: 'The Nature Restoration Fund will do exactly as its name suggests. It will restore, not harm nature. It is a smart planning reform designed to unlock and accelerate housing and infrastructure delivery while improving the state of nature across the country.' He later told MPs: 'I feel obliged to tackle a number of the most flagrant misconceptions head on. 'First, some have claimed that driven by a belief that development must come at the expense of the environment, the Government is creating a licence for developers to pay to pollute. A cash-to-trash model, as some have dubbed it. In reality, the nature and restoration fund will do the precise opposite. 'I have been consistently clear that building new homes and critical infrastructure should not, and need not, come at the expense of the environment. It is plainly nonsense to suggest the Nature Restoration Fund would allow developers to simply pay Government and then wantonly harm nature.' Mr Pennycook said the money would be given to Natural England, which is set to get powers to acquire land compulsorily to put its EDPs into practice. Labour MP for Poole Neil Duncan-Jordan, who acted as a teller for the ayes to enable the vote to take place, criticised the Government's rhetoric, and argued it was 'too simplistic to argue that this is a debate of builders versus blockers'. He said 'there's no amount of killing badgers or red tape bonfires which is going to fix' what he described as a 'developer-led model' of planning, when housebuilders 'drip feed developments into the system, prioritising properties which maximise profit and are far from affordable for local people'. The Conservatives accused the Government of 'greenwashing'. Conservative shadow housing minister Paul Holmes said: 'While developers may cheer the ability to pay into a Nature Restoration Fund instead of taking direct responsibility for mitigations, we should ask, is this really restoration, or is it greenwashing?' Mr Pennycook said the new laws were needed to 'speed up and streamline' Labour's housing target of 1.5 million homes, clean energy goals and aim to approve at least 150 'major economic infrastructure projects'. Several MPs had called for swift bricks – hollow bricks where small birds can make their nests – in new builds, in amendments drafted by Labour's Jenny Riddell-Carpenter (Suffolk Coastal) and Barry Gardiner (Brent West), and Liberal Democrat housing spokesman Gideon Amos. At the despatch box, Mr Pennycook said that 'changing national planning policy is the more effective route to securing swift bricks as a standard feature of the vast majority of new builds', through a regularly updated set of planning rules. 'We are specifically giving consideration to using a new suite of national policies for decision making to require swift bricks to be incorporated into new buildings unless there are compelling reasons which preclude their use, or which would make them ineffective,' the minister said. 'This would significantly strengthen the planning policy expectations already in place, meaning for example that we would expect to see at least one swift brick in all new brick-built houses.'
The Sun
6 hours ago
- The Sun
Brazilian beauty queen was ‘shot dead by hitman who got a tattoo on his hand of her face on fire'
A BRAZILIAN beauty queen was shot dead by a hitman who got a heinous tattoo of her burned face on his hand. Bruna Zucco Segatin, 21, was tragically found dead alongside her 30-year-old boyfriend Valdir de Brito Feitosa in the back of a burned out pick-up truck in 2018. 5 5 5 The unnamed killer was seized on 7th June after seven years on the run, in Altonia, Brazil. Bruna's face was tragically disfigured by flames after the truck was set on fire, which the suspect appeared to have heinously inked on him. A shocking police photo of the suspected killer shows the alleged sick memento tattooed on his left hand. Police chief Reginaldo Caetano said: "The tattoo on the suspect depicts a woman with part of her face on fire. "Bruna's body was located burned and charred in the back of a pick-up truck." Cops believe that Bruna's boyfriend Valdir was the main target, and the former Miss Altonia just happened to be with him. Officers say they seized the gunman after linking the killings to local drugs and contraband trafficking rivals. The tattoo was found after the suspect was arrested on Saturday. Investigators said he was hird to go to Altonia to commit the horrific killing - but the target was Valdir. In the arrest operation, three other men were also cuffed with one of them identified as the mastermind, local media reports. Brit woman dead and husband fighting for life after 4x4 smashes into bakery in popular tourist hotspot Cops say that important evidence was destroyed in the fire where the bodies of Bruna and Valdir were found. A few days ago, a glamorous bodybuilder was found dead in a swimming pool while on holiday, sparking a police probe. Luz María Barrera Agatón died in the early hours of Sunday morning while holidaying with her family, before loved ones found her tragic corpse. The beauty influencer was staying at the Coco Resort & Villas Hotel with family and friends in Motul, west of Cancun, Mexico. She had been chatting with them around the cenote-style pool before they made their way to bed at around midnight. Luz was left alone before she was later seen floating lifeless in the hotel pool. The tragic athlete was retrieved from the water and emergency services were called immediately. Paramedics rushed to the scene but could do nothing to save the young woman's life. 5 5
Scottish Sun
12 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Warning over ‘dodgy' Fire TV Sticks used to watch Sky Sports and Premier League games for as little as £6
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) BRITS are being warned that they could face jail time for using "dodgy" Fire Sticks that offer Sky Sports and Premier League games for as little as £6. A growing number of people in the UK are believed to be switching to illegal streaming devices, but the Federation Against Copyright Theft has warned that this could lead to users having their ID stolen or their credit card details handed to criminals. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Many Brits are using illegally modified Fire Sticks Credit: Getty Posts have begun flooding social media sites advertising modified Fire Sticks for just a few pounds. According to The Mirror, one mobile number was used for over 800 Facebook posts, with Brits urged to contact the number via WhatsApp to get their hands on the illegal piece of tech. Some posts advertised all Sky channels plus streaming sites such as Netflix and Disney Plus for as little as £2.50 a month. In comparison, if you were to pay for Sky Sports, it would set you back by at least £50 a month. Some dodgy sellers are even claiming that their service is legal, with one fraudster claiming to be from a company called IPTV. They claimed that the company is a "online service to provide channels on Fire Stick, smart TVs, android TVs, mobile phone as well." However, IPTV is just a general term for Internet Protocol Television. And although may Brits are tempted by the budget prices of these illegal devices, the criminals providing them may end up in jail before they've had a chance to follow through on the deal. Back in January, a Fire Stick scammer who was streaming illegal TV to thousands of people, was jailed for two years. And Kieron Sharp, chairman of the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) said that dodgy Fire Stick users are breaking the law too, and could end up being prosecuted. Amazon Fire Stick trick lets you find lost remote instantly using hidden 'ringer' According to FACT, watching an illegal stream is an offence under the Fraud Act 2006, and has a maximum penalty of five years in prison. However, consumers are more at risk from the Malware that comes with illegally modified devices. Kieron warned that scammers could use the devices to hack your bank account or even hijack your camera and microphone. People should be warned about this", he said. Where to buy a Fire TV Stick Fire TV Sticks are an easy way to add streaming to an older television. They're manufactured by Amazon, but you can buy them from a number of different stores. *If you click on a link in this boxout, we may earn affiliate revenue. UK Amazon Argos Currys John Lewis Very US Amazon Walmart Bestbuy Target "There's a real risk of having your identity stolen or similar. "If you give over your credit card details, you are giving them to criminals. "They could get access to the camera on your TV, if it has one, or microphone. "There is no safety or security with what you are getting with these modified devices." Amazon has said it has made changes to Fire Sticks to make it harder for criminals to modify them. An Amazon spokesperson said: 'Pirated content violates our policies regarding intellectual property rights, and compromises the security and privacy of our customers. 'We remain vigilant in our efforts to combat piracy and protect customers from the risks associated with pirated content, which includes prohibiting apps that infringe upon the rights of third parties in our Appstore, and warning customers of the risks associated with installing or using apps from unknown sources.'
