Soil degradation

Degraded soils.
Soil degradation is a key global environmental indicator.
Very degraded soils are found especially in semi-arid areas (Sub-Saharan Africa, Chile), areas with high population pressure (China, Mexico, India) and regions undergoing deforestation (Indonesia).
Degraded soils reduce the possibilities for agriculture, increases the expansion of drylands/desert and hightens the risk for erosion.
This map presents the state of global soil degradation, from the GLASOD study in 1997.

Amazon Rain Forest Deforestation Crackdown

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QA-yprMOv7M&feature=share


CHAN:
Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon Rain Forest fell over 20 percent in June. The drop follows an intensified crackdown on illegal logging and cattle ranching.

STORY:
Deforestation of Brazil's Amazon Rain Forest fell over twenty percent in June. Environment Minister Carlos Minc says government pressure has been driving deforestation down.

[Carlos Minc, Brazilian Environment Minister]:
"I think deforestation rates are still very high and I think it's unacceptable, that is, we are not celebrating here. But anyhow, it is less worrisome that the negative trend began to decline precisely in the months when we expected numbers to rise."

Environmentalists are concerned that rising grain prices may lead farmers to expand their planted areas, pushing the agricultural frontier deeper into the forest.

The Environment Ministry said cattle ranching occupies as much as 80 percent of deforested Amazon areas, where an estimated 25 million heads of cattle are raised. Last month about 10,000 head of cattle were seized for illegal grazing.

Eleazar Volpato a forest engineering professor at the University of Brasilia, said the government must promote more preventive measures.

[Eleazar Volpato, Professor, University of Brasilia]:
"We can't wait to act only after deforestation has already occurred and we also can't depend only on the Police. We must use instruments that promote (sustainable) activities in the rain forest."

The government of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has increased police raids on illegal logging and expanded protected areas while also building roads and hydroelectric plants in the region.

Conservationists fear some of these measures could increase deforestation in the long term.

Medidas para travar a desflorestação da Amazónia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QA-yprMOv7M&feature=share

Podes acompanhar...

CHAN:
Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon Rain Forest fell over 20 percent in June. The drop follows an intensified crackdown on illegal logging and cattle ranching.

STORY:
Deforestation of Brazil's Amazon Rain Forest fell over twenty percent in June. Environment Minister Carlos Minc says government pressure has been driving deforestation down.

[Carlos Minc, Brazilian Environment Minister]:
"I think deforestation rates are still very high and I think it's unacceptable, that is, we are not celebrating here. But anyhow, it is less worrisome that the negative trend began to decline precisely in the months when we expected numbers to rise."

Environmentalists are concerned that rising grain prices may lead farmers to expand their planted areas, pushing the agricultural frontier deeper into the forest.

The Environment Ministry said cattle ranching occupies as much as 80 percent of deforested Amazon areas, where an estimated 25 million heads of cattle are raised. Last month about 10,000 head of cattle were seized for illegal grazing.

Eleazar Volpato a forest engineering professor at the University of Brasilia, said the government must promote more preventive measures.

[Eleazar Volpato, Professor, University of Brasilia]:
"We can't wait to act only after deforestation has already occurred and we also can't depend only on the Police. We must use instruments that promote (sustainable) activities in the rain forest."

The government of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has increased police raids on illegal logging and expanded protected areas while also building roads and hydroelectric plants in the region.

Conservationists fear some of these measures could increase deforestation in the long term.

Acidentes Ambientais

1972 - Golfo de Omã.

O petroleiro "Sea Star" derramou 115000 toneladas neste golfo.

1973 - França.
Um camião que transportava 20 toneladas de produtos perigosos, despistou-se e explodiu, provocando 9 mortos e 45 feridos.

1976 - Corunha - Espanha.
O afundamento do navio "Urquiola" derramou 100.000 toneladas de combustível.

1983 - Tarragona - Espanha.
Explosão de gás matou 180 pessoas.

1984 - Cidade do México.

Esta cidade foi afectada por uma explosão degás, tendo morrido cerca de 1000 pessoas.

1984 - Bohpal -Índia.

Uma ruptura numa fábrica de pesticidas matou cerca de 2000 pessoas e deixou mais de 200.000 cegas.

1986 - Chernobyl - Ucrânia.

Uma explosão nuclear levou a que radiações se espalhassem por uma grande extensão, transportadas pelo vento. Milhares de pessoas ficaram afectadas pelas radiações, registou-se um número indeterminado de mortes, com origem na leucemia.

1991 - Golfo Pérsico.

Na guerra entre o Koweit e o Iraque, os iraquianos lançaram no mar toneladas de petróleo e atearam fogo a poços de petróleo que estiveram a arder durante meses, provocando uma densa nuvem de fumo.

Finais dos anos 90 do século XX.

Baía de Maré - Roménia.

A extracção de ouro está a contaminar a água com metais pesados que provocam nos seres humanos doenças e atrasos no desenvolvimento físico e intelectual.