Amazon deforestation increases, may be due to government policies

Satellite data indicate an increase in Amazon deforestation over the months of August and September, according to The Guardian. The amount of land cleared there over the same period last year has gone up 190 percent, data show.

In September alone, an area more than six times the size of Manhattan Island was cleared, according to a nonprofit research firm. The massive expanse totals just over 400 square kilometers.

Some expect a change in government policies has led to the increase in deforestation. This includes a shift from prioritizing the protection of the Amazon to more involvement with large-scale agriculture, as well as increased dam construction in the tropical rain forest.

Top image: The Amazon rain forest continues to disappear at an increased rate. (Credit: Alexander Torrenegra, via Flickr/CC BY 2.0)