Brazil's newly appointed environment minister, Carlos Minc, is pushing to have the military patrol nature reserves in the Amazon and elsewhere, according to comments published Monday.
Minc, who was named to the important ministry following the surprise resignation of his highly regarded predecessor Marina Silva last week, said he would put the proposal to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
"I am going to propose the creation of patrols or movements by army regiments to watch over the big parks and reserves," he was quoted as saying in several media.
Brazil has around 300 nature parks and reserves, most of them located in the vast Amazon forest, which is under threat from illegal loggers and ranchers.
Minc, 50, was previously in charge of the environment for the state of Rio de Janeiro, during which he built a reputation as a "guardian angel" of the environment Greenpeace, and an "enemy of development" for large agricultural interests.
He has large shoes to fill in taking over his new portfolio.
Silva, the daughter of a rubber plantation owner, was a staunch defender of the environment during her tenure.
She was said to have resigned in frustration over differences with other ministers more interested in economic development than eco-protection, and with Lula's focus on developing biofuel crops.
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5g3EOi06ZTA-OPvfhSbxTCQsxS1Vg
No comments:
Post a Comment