Amazon Day ushers in new threat to forests
Copyright 2001 WWF International
September 5, 2001
Brasília, Brazil - Public mobilisation against a proposal that would change the Brazilian Forest Code has prompted the Federal Government to review its intention to endorse the proposal.
If approved, the legislation would allow for a significant increase in deforested areas in Brazil. The proposal was put forward by representatives of the major forest landowners in the National Congress and the draft law for the code was suggested by representative Moacyr Micheletto. A special commission created in the Brazilian Congress was to vote on the proposal yesterday, Tuesday, September 4, 2001, but the vote was postponed by at least 24 hours after opposition parties asked for extra time to review it.
Yesterday, a demonstration was organised in front of the Brazilian Congress to protest against the suggested changes in the Forest Code. Members of the 287 organisations that make up the SOS Forests campaign - including WWF Brazil - started assembling in the lawn in front of the Congress early in the morning to participate in the demonstration.
The highlight of their demonstration was symbolic: a giant cake shaped like the map of the Amazon Forest, weighing 30 kilogrammes and with a diameter of 1.5 meters, was cut with a chainsaw (without the chain) and carried by environmentalists dressed up as members of the big landowners lobby group in Congress. The enactment symbolised the Amazon "banquet" that the farmers will have if the draft proposal is approved and becomes the new Brazilian Forest Code. The cake was also an advance commemoration for Amazon Day, officially celebrated today.
Moacir Micheletto's proposal may be easily approved in the special Congress Commission today, when voting resumes, since 13 of its 16 members are part of the landowners interest group. Before it can become law however, the draft would still have to be approved by the plenary of the National Congress during a joint session yet to be scheduled, before being submitted to President Fernando Henrique Cardoso for ratification.