Flávio Bolsonaro’s Advance in Brazil’s Election Is Grim News for the Climate
This story was originally published by the Guardian and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. More fire, more ash, more crime, more death. And a globally important ecosystem driven ever more rapidly towards a point of no return. That is the prospect for the Amazon rainforest for at least the next four years if Flávio Bolsonaro holds […]
The latest development in Brazil's presidential election has raised serious concerns about the future of the Amazon rainforest and global climate stability. Flávio Bolsonaro, the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, is currently leading in the first round of voting, with 47 percent of the vote. This outcome is seen as concerning not only by voters in Brazil but also by the international community, given the pivotal role the Amazon plays in the global ecosystem.
Under Lula's administration, deforestation in the Amazon was reduced by nearly 50 percent. If Bolsonaro continues on his current path, Brazil's commitment to preserving the Amazon and the global climate will be severely jeopardized. Despite this, other candidates advocating for environmental protection, such as Marina Silva, a former environment minister, and Joenia Wapichana, an Indigenous rights advocate, were unsuccessful in their bids for higher office.
Flávio Bolsonaro's political agenda has been heavily influenced by his father's tenure, marked by a 59.5 percent increase in Amazon deforestation, equivalent to destroying 2 billion trees. He has pledged to pardon his father, who is currently imprisoned for plotting a coup and attempting to undermine Brazil's democracy. Flávio's political track record includes backing a bill in 2019 that aimed to eliminate landowner requirements to conserve native vegetation in the Amazon, demonstrating his uncanny willingness to dismantle environmental protections.
The momentum for Bolsonarism, a political movement that prioritizes profit from extractive industries with little regard for environmental impact, is evident. Bolsonaro's ally in the Amazonian state of Pará, Daniel Santos, has been fined for deforestation but is promising to waive such penalties. The Bolsonarist influence extends to control of seven out of the nine states in the Brazilian Amazon, with a high likelihood of winning the eighth in the runoff.
The political landscape in Brazil appears to be shifting towards a more Trumpian, populist style of governance, with a pronounced focus on maximizing profits for extractive industries. The current political chaos in Brazil's Supreme Court, which has served as a check on unregulated expansion, is likely to further exacerbate the situation.
The environmental consequences of this political shift are not limited to the Amazon. All of Brazil's biomes, traditional Indigenous peoples, and global climate stability are at risk. The failure to heed these warnings could signal a broader failure to address the climate and nature crisis, especially in the context of heightened geopolitical tensions between the US and China.
Written by urgent.news from Mother Jones's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
