Amazon almost gone
As little as 5 percent of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil may remain
as pristine forest by 2020, according to a study published today in the
journal Science. The researchers say that Brazil's plan to invest $40
billion on development projects in the Amazon Basin will overwhelm
conservation efforts. The 1.3 million-square-mile Amazon forest makes up 40
percent of the Earth's remaining tropical rainforest, but the researchers
fear that logging, oil exploration, roads, and new homes will devastate the
area. South Africa Independent 19 Jan
http://www.forests.org/recent/2001/winotbec.htm