Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro once again went on a Twitter tirade against actor and environmentalist Leonardo DiCaprio. The president called out DiCaprio and told him to “give up your yacht before lecturing the world” after DiCaprio posted about the magnitude of illegal deforestation in the Amazon.
Earlier in the year, the actor posted about the Amazon rainforest’s significant role in climate change and urged young Brazilians to register to vote in the elections in October. An incensed Bolsonaro responded by telling DiCaprio to “keep his mouth shut,” accusing him of speaking nonsense.
The president didn’t stop at one tweet. After accusing DiCaprio of being obsessed with Brazil and its resources (as the actor might actually be, because of its role in, you know, climate change), Bolsonaro explained that during his administration “average deforestation is way lower than it was in the past.”
Bolsonaro also boasted that his government recently announced its commitment to eradicate illegal deforestation by 2028, and not two years later in 2030 like most countries. What he didn’t say is if this means that deforestation would be stopped or if it would just be made legal, like how he’s pushing to legalize wildcat mining in the Amazon’s indigenous lands.
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The destruction of the Amazon, which is the world’s largest rainforest, has gone up since Bolsonaro took office in 2019. His administration weakened environmental protections that were already in place. He believes that these prevent the economic development needed to reduce poverty in the region.
Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research (INPE) reports that 941.34 square kilometers (363 square miles) of the rainforest — or roughly the size of Dallas, Texas — had been destroyed just from the first quarter of the year. This is the biggest area recorded since the institute started monitoring deforestation rates in 2016.
Information for this briefing was found via Twitter, CNN, and the sources mentioned. The author has no securities or affiliations related to this organization. Not a recommendation to buy or sell. Always do additional research and consult a professional before purchasing a security. The author holds no licenses.
