Cashing in on the Brazilian rainforest
One of the greatest weapons against climate change sits on vast tracts of undeveloped Brazilian land. The country is home to nearly half of Earth’s rainforests, gobbling up 2 billion tons of carbon dioxide every year — a third of the United States’ 2010 greenhouse gas output. Maintaining, and expanding, what the Economist aptly termed “the world’s lungs” will be essential to fighting global warming, not to mention preserving biological diversity and water systems.
Majority of Chinese Prioritize Environment Over Economy
Fifty-seven percent of Chinese adults surveyed in 2011 — before the country’s economic slowdown grabbed headlines — prioritized protecting the environment, even at the risk of curbing economic growth. About one in five believed economic growth is more important. Chinese attitudes are typical of those in other emerging-market economies, where residents sided with the environment over the economy in earlier surveys. The problem is that China is currently one of the worst polluters in the world and getting worse.
