Brazil sees record fall in Amazon deforestation as key election looms

I SWEAR I READ THIS TWICE TO BE SURE BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS CHANGING SO FAST. SO FIRST, FOR YEARS UNDER JAIR BOLSONARO, DEFORESTATION WAS LITERALLY EXPLODING BECAUSE MINING IN INDIGENOUS LANDS WAS THE VIBE, RIGHT? THEN PRESIDENT LULA TAKES OVER THREE YEARS AGO AND PLEDGES TO END IT BY 2030. AND NOW, SUDDENLY, SATELLITE DATA SHOWS A MASSIVE 41.8% DROP IN AMAZON DEFORESTATION! THAT IS THE BIGGEST DECREASE SINCE 1988, WHICH IS WILD! THE SAVANNA REGION, THE CERRADO, IS ALSO DOWN 23.8%. BUT HERE IS THE CATCH: THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION RUN-OFF AGAINST JAIR’S SON, FLAVIO BOLSONARO, IS OCTOBER 25TH, AND POLLS ARE NECK-AND-NECK! FLAVIO SAYS HE WILL FIGHT ORGANIZED CRIME BUT WILL HE KEEP THE FOREST PROTECTIONS? I HONESTLY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT HAPPENS NEXT. ANYWAY I HOPE SOMEBODY IS WRITING THIS DOWN.

OK SO THIS IS MY WHOLE PERSONALITY TODAY BECAUSE I AM OBSESSED WITH THIS ELECTION! THE AMAZON IS THE WORLD’S LARGEST RAINFOREST AND IT IS OUR MAIN BUFFER AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE, BUT IT HAS BEEN A TOTAL BATTLEGROUND. THREE YEARS AGO, LULA PROMISED TO STOP THE CLEARING THAT SPIKED UNDER BOLSONARO, AND APPARENTLY IT ACTUALLY WORKED! WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE LOWEST DEFORESTATION RATES SINCE RECORDS STARTED IN 1988. THAT IS LITERALLY AN ENORMOUS WIN FOR THE PLANET. BUT NOW IT IS OCTOBER 2026, AND THE RUN-OFF IS OCTOBER 25TH AGAINST FLAVIO BOLSONARO. THE POLLS ARE SO CLOSE, BRO! FLAVIO MIGHT JUST REVERSE EVERYTHING IF HE WINS, THOUGH HE SAYS HE WANTS TO STOP CRIME. IT IS SUCH A NAIL-BITER FOR THE FUTURE OF THE PLANET. RIGHT I AM GOING TO THE SMOKING AREA, COME.

Brazil reports record drops in deforestation in the Amazon and savanna regions ahead of the October 25 presidential runoff election between incumbent Lula and challenger Flavio Bolsonaro.

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