Brazil's Amazon deforestation drops nearly 42% to 1988 low
Big news for the planet: Brazil's Amazon just saw its lowest deforestation rate since 1988.
Thanks to stricter enforcement and more investment in protecting the rainforest under President Lula, deforestation dropped by nearly 42% this year, down to 3,335 square kilometers cleared.
That's a huge turnaround from previous years.
October 25: Lula versus Flavio Bolsonaro
The upcoming presidential election on October 25 could change everything.
Lula, who pushed for conservation and cut deforestation by 71.2% since the start of the Lula administration in 2022, is up against Flavio Bolsonaro, whose policies favor land clearing like his father did (when rates actually went up).
Conservationists are watching closely; as former environment minister Marina Silva puts it, Flavio Bolsonaro is trying to finish his father's "perverse project" to destroy the Amazon.
The winner could shape not just Brazil's forests but global climate efforts too.