Stories tagged Brazil
Sociologists have found that Brazilians who watch soap operas, or novellas, have a significantly lower birth rate than those who do not, even after controlling for other factors. They theorize that the glamorous fictional characters in the shows have small families, and their fans, consciously or subconsciously, are following suit.
Tags : Lost and found: Primative tribe is discovered in South America's Amazon valley
We don't have time machines that can turn back the clock, but earlier this month the organization Survival International made contact with an Amazon River tribe that appears to have had no contact with the modern world. Photos and a full report are available here, but the link may be slow to come up as the website is experiencing heavy traffic with this big announcement. Survival International officials actually flew over the tribe's village with a small aircraft and did not have face-to-face contact with the tribe. Here's another interesting photo of the find.
Amazon Rain Forest setback
Battle in Brazil's rain forest
Amazon rainforest
Courtesy NASA More than 2,000 protesters recently blocked roads and forced inspectors to flee Tailandia, a town in the state of Para, before their work was completed. The logging industry provides jobs for 2,000 to 3,000 people in that area but it is believed that more than 70% of wood felled in the area is of illegal origin. Tailandia, which has a population of around 67,000, was established 19 years ago and in that period it is believed that as much 60% of forest in the area has been destroyed. Some 140 officers raided eight illegal sawmills in the state of Para, confiscating 10,000 cubic metres (353,000 cubic feet) of lumber. Some 160 Brazilian troops have now been sent to join hundreds of police officers involved in efforts to tackle the illegal deforestation. BBCnews.com
In the last five months of 2007, another 3,235 sq km (1,250 sq miles) of rain forest were lost.
The Amazon represents over half of the planet's remaining rain forests (Wikipedia). The Amazon rain forest has been considered the "lungs" of the Earth, breathing in carbon dioxide and breathing out oxygen.
Why is the rainforest being destroyed in Brazil?
Click on these links for a more detailed discussion about the major causes of deforestation listed below.
A more profitable use of rain forest land
The latest statistics show that rainforest land converted to cattle operations yields the land owner $60 per acre and if timber is harvested, the land is worth $400 per acre. However, if these renewable and sustainable resources are harvested, the land will yield the land owner $2,400 per acre.
Promoting the use of these sustainable and renewable sources could stop the destruction of the rainforests. By creating a new source of income harvesting the medicinal plants, fruits nuts, oil and other sustainable resources, the rainforests is be more valuable alive than cut and burned. Rain-Tree.com/facts
Click here for more information about Amazon rain forest destruction.
(If scientists don’t blow it up first.)
Farmers in Brazil have traditionally cut down large swaths of rain forest to plant cacao trees – the source of chocolate. But these high-yield plantations ravaged the rain forest, depleted the land, and suffered numerous outbreaks of disease. A new method of planting, called cabruca, plants cacao trees right inside the rain forest itself. Only a few rain forest tress are cut down – the forest itself remains intact. The forest nourishes the cacao trees and protects them from plantation diseases. And while the amount of chocolate grown in this manner is smaller than can be grown on a plantation, the farmers can make up the difference by charging a higher price for “environmentally friendly chocolate.”
No, he's not dead, he's restin'! Remarkable bird, the Brazilian blue. Beautiful plumage!: Photo by gnakcgnackgnack at Flickr.com
Chalk up another victory for environmental protection. Lear’s Macaw, a brilliant blue parrot native to Brazil, is coming back from the brink of extinction. Ten years ago, a survey found only 70 birds in the wild. A June count by the American Bird Conservancy found 751.
The bird is still endangered by hunting and illegal pet trade. But protecting its habitat in northeastern Brazil has helped bring the bird back.
Oh, and before I forget: Season 1, episode 8.
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