Brazil proposes forest program

RIO DE JANEIRO -- The Brazilian government is considering a plan to plant more than 200,000 sq km of forest for environmental reasons. The plan, developed by an international team working with the university of Sao Paolo's Institute for Advanced Studies, has the support of national secretary for the environment Jose Goldemberg, who says he will seek international financial assistance for it.

Called the Floram project, the 20-30 year, US$22 billion plan would cover about 2.4% of Brazil's territory (an area almost the size of Victoria) and could reduce the country's carbon dioxide levels by around 5%. However, the Brazilian scientists warn that this would only buy time for the big polluters, particularly in the advanced countries, to reduce carbon emissions. CO2 absorbed by the trees would eventually be released again as they died or were used for economic purposes.

The scientists expect the plan to create jobs in rural areas and slow the population drift to the big cities. Reforestation of river banks would protect watersheds and diversity of flora and fauna. The team says the project should be seen as the first step in a massive reforestation program for other regions as well.

The group points out that there are around 115 billion tonnes of surplus carbon in the atmosphere, and global warming is already a reality.
[From Inter Press Service/Pegasus.]

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