The Amazon Ablaze
Biden became the first-ever U.S. President to visit the Amazon Rainforest on Nov. 17, visiting an ecosystem in crisis. Brazil is ablaze, and there is one major culprit: climate change. As Brazil faces one natural disaster after another, the world watches helplessly. The Amazon rainforest remains in danger despite a shift in Brazilian policy following the arrival of president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. While Lula has passed laws prioritizing the fight against climate change, consistent change is yet to be seen.
Brazil is one of the most instrumental nations when it comes to climate change, hosting the world’s largest carbon sink in the Amazon rainforest. As the Amazon burns from forest fires, the carbon stored in trees goes into the atmosphere and creates a greenhouse effect, accelerating climate change. That makes it only more critical that we protect the rainforest to combat climate change.
In order to keep Brazil on a progressive path, we must support Lula’s climate goals, which have been much better than former President Bolsonaro, who, according to Vox, “stripped enforcement measures, cut spending for science and environmental agencies, fired environmental experts, and pushed to weaken Indigenous land rights.” To do this, there needs to be continued aid and more investment in Brazil’s clean energy sector, which will allow for more progress to be made by its government and potentially reap benefits for the U.S. economy.
According to the World Resources Institute, “Nearly one-quarter of the forest in Brazil has already been lost.” This is mainly being done to clear space for practices such as agriculture, which harms the environment. “The region’s economy, and Brazil as a whole, rely heavily on farming, mining and other resource-intensive activities that deplete the Amazon.” Climate change caused by the burning of fossil fuels also damages Brazil’s ecosystem, making it more susceptible to droughts, flash flooding and wildfires, creating a vicious cycle of burning and emissions that has endangered Brazilians.
Turning the tide is crucial for the planet’s future, and America has made climate change an administration priority under President Joe Biden. According to The World Resources Institute, Biden ran in 2020 on the “most ambitious climate action platform of any major presidential candidate in U.S. history.” He went on to sign the Inflation Reduction Act, “the most comprehensive climate legislation the U.S. has ever seen. The law invests hundreds of billions of dollars in clean energy, electric vehicles, environmental justice and more.” it has shifted the U.S economy to a climate focused future. When Trump enters office, he must extend this ambition to the world to protect the rainforest.
The return of Lula has led to vast improvements in Brazil’s actions towards climate change. According to Think Landscape, his government has combated climate change by doubling infraction notices for land grabbing, reactivated the Amazon Fund and even decreased deforestation in the Amazon by 50%. While this is significant progress, Lula’s administration has shown inconsistencies in environmental policy.
However, the progress made in the Amazon is largely offset by the increased deforestation in the Cerrado, a critical, yet undervalued area of Brazilian territory. Despite increased regulation, deforestation in the Brazilian Cerrado, a large savanna, surged by nearly 45 percent last year compared to 2022 and reached its highest level since 2019, according to Think Landscape. This issue is likely to worsen, partly because Lula has been unable to prevent Brazil’s conservative senate from planning to increase oil exploration and passing laws restricting indigenous land rights.
To be a world leader against climate change, the United States must form a strong partnership with Brazil. However, in the past 20 years, Brazil has developed an economic dependency on Chinese exports, according to Foreign Affairs. “Both are indispensable. The United States is Brazil’s biggest investor and China its biggest trading partner” In addition, China depends more and more on Brazil’s oil production, a resource their economy is heavily reliant upon, harming efforts in climate progress.
In comparison, the U.S.’s reputation in Brazil isn’t great. According to Foreign Affairs, “Brazil has been disappointed by U.S conduct in the last 20 years. Brazilian Policymakers have long felt that Washington has neglected their country and Latin America more broadly, with the region only receiving U.S attention when a major foreign power-nowadays China- tries to extend its influence there.”
Fortunately, there have been positive steps forward in recent years. According to the Office of the United States Trade Representative, The United States and Brazil signed an economic cooperation agreement in 2011. A more extensive one focused on the climate is necessary for further progress.
Of course, Biden has also made commitments to Brazil. He pledged $500 million to the Amazon fund, of which the U.S. government has already paid almost $100 million. To combat the wildfires, Biden has sent relief aid. He also increased the budget and extended the Partnership for the Conservation of Amazon Biodiversity, a bilateral agreement to help Brazil achieve its climate goals.
He has also made efforts to improve the relationship between Brazil and the United States. Biden went on a climate focused visit to the Amazon rainforest on Nov. 17, announcing new efforts for the Amazon and showing his continued commitment to Brazil.
While current actions taken by the Biden administration have led to significant improvements, much more progress needs to be made in order to stop climate change in the long term. It’s already had devastating impacts in Brazil, and despite progressive laws passed under Lula, it is clear that the situation isn’t getting better for people in Brazil. The impacts will affect the whole world.
The United States cannot afford to let Brazil slip back into the days of Bolsonaro. In order to keep Lula in power, Brazil needs to have faith in its government, and with the current crisis that’s nearly impossible. According to Reuters, Lula currently has 36 percent approval ratings. The United States needs Lula to stay in power to continue on the progress that’s already been made, which can be achieved by bolstering Brazil’s economy, specifically by implementing a trade agreement similar to NAFTA that prioritizes an increase in investment in Brazil’s clean energy sector. Economic success and fighting the climate crisis will resonate with voters in Brazil. Improving the economy would not only improve public opinion of Lula, giving him more power to solve climate issues, but also allow Brazil to have more spending power, which it could then use to address the wildfires.
According to the United States Customs and Border Patrol, NAFTA, or the North American Free trade agreement ended tariffs between the U.S, Canada and Mexico, breaking down barriers for “cross border investment.” An agreement that encourages free trade and private investments in Brazil’s already advanced clean energy sector will lead to the development of technologies that will cut carbon emissions and grow both countries’ economies.
China has been a global leader in developing clean energy technology, and the U.S. needs to catch up. Not only to reach its climate goals, but to prove it can be a leader on the global stage in the fight against climate change.
If properly implemented, this agreement will shift Brazil’s economy to become less reliant on climate-harming methods. Just as the IRA fostered economic growth in an environmentally conscious way, opening trade and encouraging more investment in Brazil from our private sector will bolster both economies. Economic success will also improve Lula’s approval ratings, preventing backsliding from the Brazilian government by helping his chances of reelection.
This, along with continued aid to combat the initial threat of wildfires and the existential threat of climate change, can make a real difference in saving the environment, helping our relations with Brazil, and fostering economic growth. By taking action, we will assert our position on the world stage, showing to both allies and adversaries that we can still influence global politics.