Social JusticeThe Fight for Voting Rights Is Far From Over
Maria Santos·
Environment
The Amazon's Last Defenders Are Running Out of Time
Indigenous communities are waging a legal battle to protect 40 million acres of rainforest from industrial expansion.
Carlos Rivera·Environmental Correspondent··10 min read
Environment
Deep in the Brazilian Amazon, the Kayapo people have lived in harmony with the forest for thousands of years. Today, they are its last line of defense.
Over the past decade, deforestation in the Amazon has accelerated at an alarming rate. Cattle ranchers, soy farmers, and illegal loggers have cleared more than 20,000 square miles of rainforest — an area larger than Switzerland. And the pace is only increasing.
The Kayapo and other indigenous communities have filed more than 200 legal challenges to protect their ancestral lands. Some have succeeded. Many have not. And the window to save the Amazon is closing fast.
We are not just fighting for our land, says Kayapo chief Raoni Metuktire. We are fighting for the lungs of the planet.
Scientists agree. The Amazon produces 20% of the world's oxygen and stores more carbon than any other ecosystem on Earth. Its destruction would accelerate climate change in ways that would affect every person on the planet.
C
Carlos Rivera
Environmental Correspondent
A correspondent at Active Advocate covering stories that drive meaningful change across communities worldwide.
