VISISIONSHARE (blog header)_edited

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

10 FORMER ENVIRONMENT MINISTERS ASK BRAZIL TO HOLD OFF ON FOREST CODE VOTE

[URGENT: Please join the new avaaz sign-on letter. It is in Portuguese for Brazilian officials but you can easily enter you name, email and country. Please help the Brazilian forest defenders NOW.]



Ten former environment ministers weighed in on Brazil's looming vote on the forest code governing land use in the Amazon rainforest.

In a letter addressed to President Dilma Rousseff and leaders of the National Congress, former ministers Carlos Minc (Brazil's environmental minister from 2008-2010), Silva (2003-2008), José Carlos Carvalho (2002-2003), José Sarney Filho (1999-2002) Gustavo Krause (1995-1999), Henrique Brandao Cavalcanti (1994-1995), Rubens Ricupero (1993-1994), Fernando Jorge Coutinho (1992-1993), Jose Goldemberg (1992) and Paulo Nogueira Neto (1973-1985) asked Brazilian political leaders to delay today's planned vote on changes to the Forest Code. They warn that hasty passage of an amended version of the code could undermine Brazil's progress is reducing its deforestation rate. Data released last week by Brazil's National Space Research Institute showed a big jump in forest clearing over last year.

The letter, written in Portuguese, calls upon Congress and Rousseff to assert a leadership role on social justice and environmental sustainability.

Mongabay has posted the full letter in Portuguese. i



No comments: