Meet the Ranchers Who Claim the Brazilian Amazon is Theirs to Burn | The Dispatch

The New York Times
7 Oct 201910:28
EducationalLearning
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TLDRIn Brazil, the Jamanxim National Forest faces severe deforestation as illegal fires and land-grabbing for cattle ranching escalate. The script reveals a conflict between environmental preservation and economic progress, with Brazil's beef industry driving the destruction of protected rainforests. The situation is further complicated by government officials' ties to the ranchers and a lack of enforcement against environmental crimes, leading to a dire situation for the Amazon's biodiversity.

Takeaways
  • 🔥 Rapid Deforestation: The script describes a fast-moving fire that is not just a ground fire but also affects the canopy, indicating swift and extensive deforestation.
  • 🌳 Loss of Amazon Rainforest: Parts of the rainforest have lost so much tree cover that they hardly resemble the Amazon, highlighting the severity of the environmental impact.
  • 🚚 Highway BR-163: The BR-163 highway is a significant corridor for soy and beef exports, which has been the site of rampant fires, many started on protected lands.
  • 🔥 Day of Fire: A specific day, referred to as the 'Day of Fire,' saw a coordinated effort to start fires on protected lands, revealing organized illicit activity.
  • 🏞️ Jamanxim National Forest: The Jamanxim National Forest experienced the worst deforestation among all protected areas in Brazil, losing over 45 square miles of tree cover.
  • 🐂 Beef Industry Impact: The demand for beef, with Brazil being the world's largest exporter, drives the conversion of rainforest into pasture, contributing to deforestation.
  • 🛣️ Resistance to Environmental Laws: Some landowners and ranchers openly defy environmental laws, with instances of land-grabbing and illegal burning linked to influential individuals.
  • 🏛️ Government Complicity: The script mentions Nabhan Garcia, a government official appointed by President Bolsonaro, who is aligned with the interests of ranchers and farmers looking to privatize reserves.
  • 🚨 Intimidation and Violence: There is a culture of intimidation, with reporters and environmental activists facing threats and violence, which allows criminal activity to continue unchecked.
  • 🛡️ Undermined Environmental Agency: The environmental agency tasked with protecting the forest is undermined and attacked by locals, with its efforts to combat fires appearing minimal and ineffective.
  • 🌐 Satellite Data: The use of satellite data confirms the scale of deforestation, with the equivalent of a soccer field of rainforest being cleared every minute.
Q & A

  • What is the current situation of the Amazon rainforest in the region mentioned in the script?

    -The Amazon rainforest in the region of Pará, Brazil, has suffered significant deforestation, with parts of it losing so much tree cover that it hardly resembles the Amazon anymore.

  • What is the significance of the BR-163 highway in the context of the Amazon rainforest?

    -The BR-163 highway is a major corridor for soy and beef exports, and it has been the site of numerous fires, many of which were started on protected lands, contributing to the deforestation of the Amazon.

  • What event is referred to as the 'Day of Fire'?

    -The 'Day of Fire' refers to a single day when there was a coordinated and unusual spike in the number of fires started on protected lands along the BR-163 highway.

  • How much tree cover was lost in the Jamanxim National Forest this year according to the script?

    -The Jamanxim National Forest lost over 45 square miles of tree cover this year, an area twice the size of Manhattan, marking the worst deforestation of all protected areas in Brazil.

  • What is the connection between beef production and deforestation in Brazil?

    -Brazil, being the world's largest exporter of beef, has a significant portion of its cattle raised on pasture that was previously rainforest. The growing demand for beef contributes to the deforestation as more land is cleared for pasture.

  • What is the attitude of some landowners and ranchers towards environmental laws in the area?

    -Some landowners and ranchers in the area brazenly defy environmental laws, with some even being linked to land-grabbing schemes and fined for burning rainforest, yet they all deny any wrongdoing.

  • Who is Nabhan Garcia and what role does he play in the situation?

    -Nabhan Garcia is an important government official appointed by President Bolsonaro, who is responsible for opening up the Amazon for development. He is a rancher and farmer himself and is seen as being on the side of those who want to privatize the reserves.

  • What is the issue of land ownership in the context of the Amazon rainforest?

    -The core issue revolves around the question of land ownership, with many people having moved into protected areas after they were established, living there illegally according to government standards, and contributing to deforestation.

  • What was the government plan that Luiz Helfenstein was part of when he came to the Amazon in the 1980s?

    -Luiz Helfenstein was part of a government plan to develop the Amazon, which involved being handed 4,000 acres of rainforest. However, with a shift in political priorities towards preservation, most of this land was later taken back to establish the Jamanxim National Forest.

  • What is the situation regarding the enforcement of environmental laws and the protection of the Amazon rainforest?

    -The enforcement of environmental laws is challenging due to intimidation and hostility towards those trying to protect the forest. Last year, 30 environmental activists were murdered in Brazil, and the authority of environmental agencies has been undermined by the Bolsonaro government.

  • What is the scale of the deforestation in the Amazon rainforest according to the script?

    -The scale of deforestation is vast, with Brazilian satellites indicating that more than a soccer field worth of rainforest is cleared every minute.

Outlines
00:00
🔥 Deforestation and Fires in the Amazon

The video script describes the rapid deforestation and fires in the Amazon rainforest, particularly in Pará, Brazil. It highlights the situation along the BR-163 highway, which is a major corridor for soy and beef exports and was the site of a 'Day of Fire' where many fires were deliberately started on protected lands. The Jamanxim National Forest, which lost over 45 square miles of tree cover, is mentioned as the worst-hit protected area in Brazil. The script also touches on the role of beef production and the demand for it in driving deforestation, as well as the attitudes of local landowners and ranchers who defy environmental laws and the government's stance on the issue, represented by Nabhan Garcia, an official appointed by President Bolsonaro.

05:11
🌳 Illegal Land Seizure and the Struggle for the Amazon

This paragraph delves into the illegal activities surrounding land seizure and deforestation in Brazil. It explains that deforesting land without authorization is illegal, yet it continues due to logging, burning, and conversion for grazing, involving millions of acres and billions of dollars. The script raises the question of land ownership and discusses the historical context, including government plans to develop the Amazon and the subsequent establishment of protected areas like the Jamanxim National Forest. It also covers the reactions of local producers who felt cheated by these changes and have resorted to illegal means to reclaim land. The script mentions the 'Day of Fire' as a coordinated act of defiance by ranchers and land-grabbers, and the intimidation tactics used against those who expose such activities, including the murder of environmental activists and attacks on environmental agencies.

10:12
🚚 Logging Trucks and the Ongoing Impact

The final paragraph of the script is brief, indicating a direct observation of two trucks loaded with fresh logs on the BR-163 highway. This visual evidence suggests that despite the issues discussed earlier, the illegal logging and deforestation of the Amazon rainforest continue unabated, highlighting the ongoing impact of these activities on the environment and the challenges faced in trying to protect one of the world's most important ecosystems.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡Deforestation
Deforestation refers to the large-scale removal of trees and forests, often for the purpose of converting land for agricultural or other uses. In the video's context, it is central to the theme as it discusses the rampant deforestation in the Amazon rainforest, particularly in the Jamanxim National Forest, where over 45 square miles of tree cover were lost, an area twice the size of Manhattan.
💡Canopy
The canopy in a forest refers to the uppermost layer of vegetation where the highest tree branches form a continuous cover. The script mentions the fire 'reaching up into the canopy,' illustrating the severity of the fires that not only affect the ground level but also the upper layers of the forest, contributing to the deforestation.
💡BR-163
BR-163 is a highway in Brazil, known as a corridor for soy and beef exports. The script describes it as a place that 'lit up like an inferno' during the fires, indicating its role as a significant route through which deforestation and illegal activities are facilitated for economic gain.
💡Day of Fire
The 'Day of Fire' mentioned in the script refers to a specific day when there was a coordinated and unusual spike in the number of fires, indicating a planned and illicit activity by ranchers and land-grabbers to clear the forest. This term is key to understanding the organized nature of deforestation in the region.
💡Jamanxim National Forest
Jamanxim National Forest is a protected area in Brazil that has suffered significant deforestation. The script highlights it as the worst-hit protected area in terms of deforestation, losing over 45 square miles of tree cover, emphasizing the severity of environmental degradation in this region.
💡Beef Exports
Beef exports are a major economic activity for Brazil, which is the world's largest exporter of beef. The script connects beef exports to deforestation, as about half of the cattle are raised on pastures that were once rainforest, indicating the economic drivers behind the environmental issue.
💡Environmental Activists
Environmental activists are individuals or groups who advocate for the protection of the environment. The script mentions the murder of 30 environmental activists in Brazil, highlighting the dangerous consequences of opposing deforestation and illegal land clearance.
💡Land-Grabbing
Land-grabbing is the act of illegally seizing land for personal or commercial gain. The script refers to government reports linking individuals to land-grabbing schemes, showing the illegal methods used to acquire land for deforestation and牧场 development.
💡Ranchers
Ranchers are individuals who own or manage ranches, typically for raising livestock. In the script, ranchers are depicted as key players in deforestation, with some brazenly defying environmental laws and engaging in illegal activities to expand their pastures.
💡Nabhan Garcia
Nabhan Garcia is an important government official appointed by President Bolsonaro, who is mentioned in the script as someone the producers are petitioning to open up the Amazon for development. His role is significant as it represents the political influence and potential support for further deforestation.
💡Control Lines
Control lines are barriers or paths created to prevent the spread of wildfires. The script describes a scene where a small group of men is carving control lines and using a leaf blower to put out fires, illustrating the limited and challenging efforts to protect the forest against the scale of deforestation.
Highlights

Fast-moving fires are not just ground fires but also reaching up into the canopy, causing extensive damage.

Concerns raised about the usual amount of fire and illicit activities in the Amazon rainforest.

The region around Pará, Brazil, has lost so much tree cover that it hardly resembles the Amazon.

The BR-163 highway, a corridor for soy and beef exports, experienced intense fires, many on protected lands.

The Jamanxim National Forest suffered the worst deforestation among all protected areas in Brazil, losing over 45 square miles of tree cover.

The local view sees deforestation as progress, linked to the beef industry, with Brazil being the world's largest exporter.

Environmental laws are brazenly defied by some landowners and ranchers, including a union leader and a national association head.

There is a push to privatize reserves and hostility towards conservation efforts, with producers petitioning government officials for development.

Nabhan Garcia, appointed by President Bolsonaro, is seen as favoring development over preservation, being a rancher and farmer himself.

Deforestation is illegal in Brazil, but land is still seized, logged, burned, and converted for grazing, involving millions of acres and billions of dollars.

The question of land ownership is central to the issue, with disputes over who has rights to the land.

Luiz Helfenstein, a rancher, received 4,000 acres as part of a government plan but later faced land reclamation by the state.

A coordinated 'Day of Fire' was identified by satellite data and local reporters, revealing a plan to burn newly cleared forest.

Intimidation and threats against environmental activists contribute to the impunity of criminal activities in the Amazon.

Environmental agencies face challenges in protecting the forest, with limited resources and local opposition.

The scale of deforestation is immense, with the equivalent of a soccer field of rainforest being cleared every minute.

Freshly cut logs are seen being transported on the BR-163 highway, indicating ongoing illegal logging activities.

Transcripts

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Amazon DeforestationEnvironmental CrisisBeef IndustryIllegal BurningProtected LandsRainforest LossCattle RanchingLand ConflictsBrazilian FiresEcological Impact