In northern Brazil, there's a town called São Félix do Xingu, located in the heart of the Amazon. Rane Cortez, a forest carbon development adviser with The Nature Conservancy, spent 10 days there. She was searching, but not for a lost treasure (unless you count a less-polluted world). Cortez is working with experts and locals on ways to cut carbon emissions from the destruction of forests.
Here's the deal: The cutting and burning of trees in places like Brazil for cattle ranching or logging is releasing stored greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, and contributing to climate change. São Félix is working on programs to conserve the forests and create jobs with money from international programs that pay countries to reduce their rate of deforestation, Cortez explains in one of three posts on her trip.
Cortez spent time at the home of cattle rancher and logger Jose Wilson, who she dubbed as a "True Carbon Cowboy."
Cattle in the road on the trip to Jose Wilson's ranch. Photo by Peter Ellis/The Nature Conservancy
For now, the economy of São Félix is based on deforestation, because people make a living raising cows. "As pastures become degraded, people are driven to cut down more forest in order to provide enough grass to maintain the size of their herds," Cortez writes. "This is exacerbated by the low cost of land in the Amazon and lack of enforcement to limit expansion."
The Nature Conservancy and local partners are trying to create a posse of cowboys in São Félix "who wrangle both cows and carbon through sustainable practices that promote economic opportunities while protecting the forests." Restoration programs being considered include planting high-value timber like mahogany and cutting vines to generate tree seedlings.
Degraded land in Sao Felix. Photo by Peter Ellis/The Nature Conservancy
You can read Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 on the Planet Change blog. The project isn't complete, but it demonstrates that it doesn't have to be us against the trees. There's a choice between stopping deforestation and killing jobs.
More on Amazon Rainforests
3 Steps You Can Take to Preserve Rainforest Right Now
What's My Cheeseburger Got to Do with Deforestation and Changing Weather Patterns?
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