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Brazil Sending 30,000 Troops to Protect Rainforest

ecoworldly.com — Brazil’s government has announced plans to increase their soldiers in the Amazon Rainforest from 17,000 to 30,000 over the next 9 years, as well as build new forts and improve others. Why have they chosen to invest $488.6 million in this plan?

Who dugg this? Made popular Jan 7, 2009

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  • Paulorific, on 01/07/2009, -1/+18Somehow I doubt the indigenous locals are the ones doing most of the deforestation.
  • Residents, on 01/06/2009, -0/+17Presence.

    I do agree with you though.
  • dromni, on 01/07/2009, -0/+10The author is really missing the point altogheter when he imagines that Brazil is afraid of Bush. Actually our fears are much closer. We have borderline deranged neighbors like Chávez (Venezuela), Evo Moralez (Bolivia) and Rafael Correa (Ecuador) who systematically break contracts, disrespect treaties and build up their militaries. So it is only natural that we reinforce protective measures in our borders, and the Amazon rainforest is really just a huge open border thousands of kilometers wide...
  • AdeleMor, on 01/06/2009, -4/+13if protection was their aim, why wouldn't they pour a fraction of that money into subsidizing social programs for the indigenous locals who clear the forest to farm for survival and offer incentives to the rich cattle ranchers seeking to increase profits?
  • garryw, on 01/07/2009, -0/+7I've actually been there and it's really too big for 30K troops to cover unless they have 30k helicopters.
  • Hrodrik, on 01/07/2009, -0/+6Completely right.
  • megamod, on 01/07/2009, -1/+517,000+13,000=30,000
  • inactive, on 01/07/2009, -0/+4Srsly. Miley Cyrus' latest hair-style is MUCH more important.
  • Tmoney645, on 01/07/2009, -0/+3They are not cutting down the Rainforest to get wood or make paper. They clear it so cattle can graze on it.
  • 9bpm9, on 01/07/2009, -0/+3This is smart. There's a large slavery ring going on in the Amazon at the moment and this could put a dent in that.

    They also might try to stop the people who just burn down the trees and then farm the land for a few years and then burn down some more trees. It's insane.
  • Scripes, on 01/07/2009, -0/+3As a country gets richer, it needs a stronger military. That has always been like that.

    The key is how that military is used.

    I hope that's not to invade other countries, against UN Security Council's decision, like it was done recently.
  • gucampos, on 01/07/2009, -0/+3The main reason our government is investing so much money in defense of our borders is the infringenments of neighbor countries on international agreements, and their association with narcotraffic. Countries like Venezuela and Bolívia, not only associate with the drug networks, but also make unnautorized incursions on brazilian territory in search for refugees from their internal conflicts.

    Also, as mentioned in comments before, we have a lot of trouble with bio-piratary. People from all around the world come to the forest, steal biological material, smuggling it to their homelands, filing international patents even when some of that is already patented here.

    And last, but not least, there is the deforestation problem. Most of the cutting and burning of the forest is actually ilegal, done by VERY rich and powerful farmers, in the pursuit of more and more money. This guys frequently send hitmen to kill people who dare to confront and delate them. As the forest is mostly inacessible for the regular policemen, the army is the best option to protect the forest from these guys.

    So no, we are not dying to be at war with no-one. We are not in the hurry to protect us from a Bush invasion. Even if maybe we should. Anyway, fortunatelly, the Bush Stupidity Dictatorship has finally ended.
  • MorganMghee, on 01/08/2009, -0/+3good deal! finally someone realizes the value of their nature!
  • wdw25, on 01/07/2009, -0/+3It all depends on where the gift card is from and for how much it is. I was able to get Pineapple Express, Heat, The Good the Bad and the Ugly, and Fistful of Dollars with a $50 Best Buy gift card. I would consider those strong presents.
  • liuite, on 01/07/2009, -1/+4so let me get this straight; if your neighbor beats his wife, then it is ok for you to do it? sua lógica é merda!
  • mokodo, on 01/07/2009, -2/+4let me understand something: both US and EU devastated their own forests, now they want to dictate what brazil should do with their own forest? come on, that sounds very strange, brazil is a sovereign country and should do with the forest WHATEVER it wants to do!
  • inactive, on 01/08/2009, -0/+2Very easy. They find the 'penicillin' of cancer drugs and then they are set. They can't do that if there is no rainforest.
  • drgmdp, on 01/07/2009, -0/+2the "invasion for resources" paranoia is not rare at all down here in south american countries. it's just that the region is so rich and the history is so present that a scenario like the mentioned wouldn't surprise anyone.
  • carbonetc, on 01/07/2009, -0/+2It's the dense clouds of mosquitoes that do all the day-ruining.
  • Leviathan433, on 01/07/2009, -0/+1An even stronger present would have been all of those movies minus the trip you had to take to get them yourself.
  • smuirhead, on 01/07/2009, -2/+3The article keeps saying "From who"

    Should be "From whom".

    Grammar aside, seems like Brazil could also spend money providing alternatives for people who feel the need to tear down forest for farmland.
  • megamod, on 01/07/2009, -0/+1Man maybe I should've stayed in Brazil after all...considering everything that has happened in the last 8 years and now these news.
  • normalkid0615, on 01/07/2009, -0/+1thank you president of brazil. they are going to sell the trees.
  • inactive, on 01/07/2009, -2/+3Gift cards are weak presents.
  • ccelo, on 01/08/2009, -0/+1hahaha tamo junto! hahahahaha!
  • Gerzie, on 01/07/2009, -2/+3***** Digg users.
    They always bury people who are being realistic.

    Unless it's about Apple Inc. or happy things (the majority of) Digg user's don't care
  • wifirewire2, on 01/07/2009, -0/+1Yea Trees!
  • waspbr, on 01/08/2009, -0/+1it is unlikely that brazil is going to get richer because of the oil, current oil proves won't allow the extreme profits that we saw a few months ago. Although the oil is going to promote futher stability in the energy sector, which is good for the economy itself. Although self-sufficient, the country is a decade away from exporting any oil.
  • SaciPerere, on 01/09/2009, -0/+1And those of us that do not live there and want that as OUR forest then WE should PAY UP!
  • Paulmeirense, on 01/07/2009, -0/+1Isso ai mano! Fica fora do brasil gringaiada!
  • waspbr, on 01/08/2009, -0/+1There are two major reason why the military would go to the amazon:

    1. border politics - issues with venezuela,bolivia and peru have contributed to increased tensions specially with venezuela that has been know to be reinforcing its military presence at the borders.
    2. drug traffic - the amazon is a entry point for clandestine planes with drugs and whatnot
  • chrisduser, on 01/07/2009, -2/+2"Brazil is sending 30,000 troops to protect the Amazon Rainforest." However, the article implies that there are already 17,000 troops there and will increase to 30,000 over the next 9 years. Not exactly sending troops 30,000 troops if 17,000 are already there.
  • jtronftw, on 01/07/2009, -1/+1I wonder what kind of implications this would have for indigenous cultures of the Amazon. Lest we forget what happened with the Brazilians and the Yanomamo.
  • Amazetbm, on 01/07/2009, -2/+2...and I'm not jealous of them. Rain forest creatures are either uncomfortably large or venomous and usually have a burning desire to find out what you taste like.
  • rrife, on 01/07/2009, -2/+2Forts??? Kids build "forts"....modern militaries build "bases", "installations" or "outposts", I realize they're all the same, but which one sounds like it's made out of cardboard boxes?
  • chrisduser, on 01/07/2009, -5/+530,000 != 13,000
  • Paulmeirense, on 01/07/2009, -1/+1claro que é! vou encher ela de porradas agora!

    /s
  • slowmode, on 01/07/2009, -2/+1Kinda weird how the military is the number one polluter and its protecting the forest.
    Go ahead bury me for telling the truth.
  • JlmAWP, on 01/07/2009, -3/+2And here I was thinking they may have done it for environmental reasons. Silly me.
  • normalkid0615, on 01/07/2009, -4/+3Didn't they ask for a ransom if they didn't protect it? They are getting the $$$ from private companies who will want to keep the rainforest until we REALLY need it. Until there is no more TP to wipe your ass, then they will say $3000 a roll.
  • Scripes, on 01/08/2009, -1/+0Buried.

    Take that!
  • wdw25, on 01/07/2009, -4/+2Wouldn't they need to tear down a lot of trees if they are building 28 new forts? Kind of defeats the whole purpose of adding 13,000 troops to protect the trees.
  • Gerzie, on 01/07/2009, -3/+1The noise from the fort construction, less than lawful soldiers, military waste... it's a stupid waste of almost $500,000,000.
    Something should be done to protect the rain forest, the animals inside it (even the dangerous ones), and the various tribes still living in it but this is not the way to do it.
  • diggydougie, on 01/07/2009, -4/+1And if they are like most militaries they will use napalm to full effect.
  • rickrossin, on 01/07/2009, -5/+1While most nations are dealing with the ramifications of the Subprime Morgage Crisis, Brazil builds tree houses.
  • phatfiend, on 01/07/2009, -11/+3buried for bad math:

    they are only sending 13000 troops. (see title and description).

    also who cares about the RAIN FOREST... come on!

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