00:00The Amazon rainforest has long been in trouble, due in no small part to industrial deforestation.
00:05However, after Brazil's former president Bolsonaro was voted out of office,
00:09a leader who weakened many environmental protections, things are beginning to look up.
00:13According to a new report by Brazil's government,
00:16in just the first six months of President Luiz Anasio Lula da Silva's presidency,
00:20Amazon deforestation in Brazil is down 33.6%.
00:24The report indicates that over the same period last year under Bolsonaro,
00:27more than 1,500 square miles of Brazil's Amazonian rainforest had alerts.
00:32Now that number is down to just over 1,000 square miles,
00:36and June's alert numbers are down even further, at 41% lower than last year.
00:40Brazil's Environment Ministry's executive secretary said in a recent statement, quote,
00:44The effort of reversing the curve of growth has been reached.
00:47That is a fact. We reversed the curve. Deforestation isn't increasing.
00:52Though the administration added, the next few months will be key in maintaining these numbers,
00:55and that they will continue to crack down on illegal logging,
00:58with the new leadership adding that they are prioritizing environmental law enforcement.
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