Amazon Forest Felled To Build Road For Climate Summit (bbc.com) 32
"A new four-lane highway cutting through tens of thousands of acres of protected Amazon rainforest is being built for the COP30 climate summit," reports the BBC, "in the Brazilian city of Belém."
The highway will ease traffic into the city, which will host over 50,000 people at the conference this November: The state government touts the highway's "sustainable" credentials, but some locals and conservationists are outraged at the environmental impact... Along the partially built road, lush rainforest towers on either side — a reminder of what was once there. Logs are piled high in the cleared land which stretches more than 13km (8 miles) through the rainforest into Belém.
Diggers and machines carve through the forest floor, paving over wetland to surface the road which will cut through a protected area... The road leaves two disconnected areas of protected forest. Scientists are concerned it will fragment the ecosystem and disrupt the movement of wildlife...
The state government of Pará had touted the idea of this highway, known as Avenida Liberdade, as early as 2012, but it had repeatedly been shelved because of environmental concerns. Now a host of infrastructure projects have been resurrected or approved to prepare the city for the COP summit.
But on the bright side, Adler Silveira, the state government's infrastructure secretary, said the highway would have wildlife crossings for animals to pass over, as well as climate-friendly bike lanes and solar-powered lighting...
The highway will ease traffic into the city, which will host over 50,000 people at the conference this November: The state government touts the highway's "sustainable" credentials, but some locals and conservationists are outraged at the environmental impact... Along the partially built road, lush rainforest towers on either side — a reminder of what was once there. Logs are piled high in the cleared land which stretches more than 13km (8 miles) through the rainforest into Belém.
Diggers and machines carve through the forest floor, paving over wetland to surface the road which will cut through a protected area... The road leaves two disconnected areas of protected forest. Scientists are concerned it will fragment the ecosystem and disrupt the movement of wildlife...
The state government of Pará had touted the idea of this highway, known as Avenida Liberdade, as early as 2012, but it had repeatedly been shelved because of environmental concerns. Now a host of infrastructure projects have been resurrected or approved to prepare the city for the COP summit.
But on the bright side, Adler Silveira, the state government's infrastructure secretary, said the highway would have wildlife crossings for animals to pass over, as well as climate-friendly bike lanes and solar-powered lighting...
it's a little bit ironic (Score:2)
WTF
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Just curious, can anyone describe the EV charger infrastructure that. Is planned to accommodate the (obviously) exclusively EV traffic this four lane highway is built to accommodate?
I'm curious about the carbon offsets for the greater traffic in and out of the newly-expanded airport also...
I'm positive they wouldn't pave paradise to put up a parking lot - would they?
I am curious why they felt the need to go all "Olympic city" for a climate conference, wouldn't it have been better to, you know, NOT have to b
no (Score:2, Informative)
Not only is this old news, it has also already been debunked a few times. This road was already planned a long time ago, way before the summit was even appointed. So yes, the news is that they felled a forest to build a road, but dragging the climate summit into this is just a trumpian naarrative
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When the people building this highway make statements like this, the debunkings you prefer to believe aren't very credible.
Adler Silveira, the state government's infrastructure secretary, listed this highway as one of 30 projects happening in the city to "prepare" and "modernise" it, so "we can have a legacy for the population and, more importantly, serve people for COP30 in the best possible way".
Also, love how he states the quiet part out loud and prioritizes the COP30 grandees over Brazil's citizens.
I'm sure the logging companies will greatly appreciate their new highway after all the COP30 folk jet off to their next newly built city. Should speed up the removal of the rest that vegetation by years.
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Re: no (Score:3)
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Like when California suddenly figured out how to clean up their homeless problem in SF briefly when the Chinese leaders came to town?
https://sfstandard.com/2023/11... [sfstandard.com]
Irving they COULD clean up their homeless problem streets of SF, they simply choose not to...
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I'm sure the logging companies will greatly appreciate their new highway after all the COP30 folk jet off to their next newly built city. Should speed up the removal of the rest that vegetation by years.
What is hilarious is the entire premise of this is like some sort of GOTCHYA, you hypocrites! .
When in fact, it's a ridiculous idea when some people frame that environmentalists have no choice other than going back to hunter gatherer times, or they are hypocrites. It's like how AlGore had people yapping because he flew in a plane at some point.
The other funny thing is I'm pretty certain that most of the people hand wringing about this don't give a fsck about the rain forest. They just think it is a w
Re: no (Score:2)
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"In my area, where there is strip mining, the law is that when finished, you have to grade and replant". I'm guessing you don't live in a pristine rainforest? Replanting NEVER looks like the original and as another poster mentions, once you build a bloody great road through, it will be used to plunder further and further into the jungle
Non sequitur. If you believe that no trees ever be removed, it is a different issue.
Yet there is no reason whatsoever that that the Amazon must be "pristine". It makes perfection be the mortal enemy of good. And it is way too late for that. Some 18 percent of it is logged already. And what prevents replanting trees and vegetation that has been removed?
https://www.arborday.org/persp... [arborday.org].
What is needed is forest management not a "don't you dare touch the forest!" outlook. https://news.mongabay.com/202 [mongabay.com]
Re:no (Score:4, Insightful)
Not only is this old news, it has also already been debunked a few times. This road was already planned a long time ago, way before the summit was even appointed. So yes, the news is that they felled a forest to build a road, but dragging the climate summit into this is just a trumpian naarrative
Is it possible you got that idea from the summary itself?
"The state government of Pará had touted the idea of this highway, known as Avenida Liberdade, as early as 2012, but it had repeatedly been shelved because of environmental concerns. Now a host of infrastructure projects have been resurrected or approved to prepare the city for the COP summit."
Turns out there's a second sentence you might want to read.
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So the fact that they've planned this road 30 years ago but only went forward for the climate conference somehow negates the environmental impact? Really? You may want to step back and reconsider your position.
Will Rob Jetten join this convention? (Score:1)
That idiot didn't realize that his biomass power plants were burning up wood from old forests but on paper it made his CO2 offset look amazing.
Just too many idiots running around in politics.
Err no (Score:5, Informative)
The highway was approved in 2020 and started construction before Brazil was announced as the COP30 leader. Look there's so much shit going on in the world already without spreading environmental fake news. Resorting to the claim that Brazil can plan, approve, prep, and build a highway in under 2 years is not just hysterical, it's giving them credit where they deserve none.
No one builds a 4 lane highway just for an event that attracts 200 people. Spreading claims like this diminishes the impact the climate movement has.
But sure, let's get outrated over 0.52 square km loss of rainforest to build a road (13km x 40m wide), in a country where 6,288 square km of rainforest was actually felled last year. You're playing right into the government's hand ignoring the massive actual problems while raging over a road.
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Tell that to Adler Silveira.
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Re: Err no (Score:2)
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Sure, but the thing being presented doesn't actually even exist. There is no road being built specifically for any climate summit.
Fake News (Score:3)
#BBC is the nations least trusted broadcaster and propagandist.
This is a lie , it was not built for COP it was built for mining vehicles.
Not great either but once again the BBC shows its true racism and untrustworthiness.
Re: Fake News (Score:2)
Isn’t it ironic .. (Score:1)
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Re: How is the fallacy called? (Score:2)
The audacity! (Score:2)
How dare those trees grow in the way of a mining road?! And in the middle of a climate summit, too! Don't they. Know they're bad for the environment???
Pity it wasn't to be built in Africa... (Score:2)
Three bureaucrats from Africa, China and India meet at an international conference. They all happen to be concerned with building a road to connect the new airport in their country and the town it is to serve. They agree to visit each other projects when they are complete.
The African and Indian land in China and are met by their friend in a very comfortable BMW. They notice that the dual carriageway has a few cracks but barely notable, and they enjoy his hospitality in a well appointed large house.
Moving on
COP Delegates: World Police (Score:2)
They couldn't just ... (Score:2)