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Amazon rainforest
Trends
- 1Lula's Brazil: less deforestation, but more oil▼Lula's mixed environmental record has brought less deforestation but more oil
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's environmental record under his current term shows a clear split: deforestation in the Amazon has fallen sharply compared with the previous administration, while his government has simultaneously expanded oil production and approved new exploration projects. The contrast has drawn criticism from climate advocates who see the drilling push as undermining his rainforest gains.
- 2Amazon's undiscovered medicines valued at $215 billion▼The Amazon Could Hold $215 Billion Worth of Undiscovered Medicines. Can We Find Them Before Deforestation Claims Them?
A new estimate suggests the Amazon rainforest could contain plant and microbial compounds worth roughly $215 billion in undiscovered medicines. Scientists are warning that ongoing deforestation may destroy species before they can be studied, prompting calls for faster bioprospecting, conservation funding and stronger protections for Indigenous knowledge linked to medicinal plants.
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Scientists have announced the discovery of a striking new fish species in the Amazon, adding to the basin's remarkable biodiversity. The find, reported by the science publication Nautilus, underscores how much of the rainforest's aquatic life remains undocumented even as the region faces mounting pressure from deforestation and development.