Pandemic covers up setbacks in Brazilian environmental laws

Environmental progress in Brazil looks set to be one of the casualties ofCOVID-19，一项警告说，由于全球大流行而转移了关注时，法律的有害变化。

Since January 2019, the Brazilian government approved 57 pieces of legislation that effectively weaken nationalbeplay足球体育的微博环境的法律，该研究发表在生物保护成立。

其中，几乎一半（27）发生在2020年3月至9月之间，在大流行中，9月份注册的数量最高（16）。

“I imagined that [environmental deregulation] would be concentrated in some areas, such as less control of deforestation, but the data shows another scenario,”

Erika Berenguer, researcher, Universities of Oxford and Lancaster, UK

The study is based on data from the联盟的官方公报，它发布了所有新法令和对巴西立法的更改。

Researchers also analysed monthly deforestation rates provided by the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) of Brazil, and fines associated with illegal deforestation, issued by the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA).

他们发现，在研究期间，尽管森林砍伐率上升了，但仍在进行非法森林砍伐的环境罚款下降了72％。beplay足球体育的微博

According to INPE, deforestation in the Amazon was 9.5 per cent higher between August 2019 and July 2020 than between August 2018 and July 2019 – making it the highest level of annual deforestation since 2008.

Among the legislative setbacks, the study highlights the toxicological review of 47 pesticides, which in July 2020 were classified as less dangerous or left without a specific category.

从2020年6月开始引用的另一项立法使得不再需要恢复所有永久性环境保护区，即使它们是非法森林砍伐的。beplay足球体育的微博

在接受采访scidev.net, Brazilian biologist Erika Berenguer, co-author of the study and researcher at the universities of Oxford and Lancaster, in the United Kingdom, said that a weakening of environmental standards was expected.

2020年4月，环境部长里卡多beplay足球体育的微博·萨尔斯（Ricardo Salles）在一场部长级会议上说，必须尽可能放松环境法，“媒体只关心Covid19”。

然而，贝伦格（Berenguer）对发生环境放松管制的方式感到惊讶。beplay足球体育的微博她说：“我认为它将集中在某些领域，例如对森林砍伐的控制较少，但数据显示了另一种情况。”

决策范围从减少添加到巴西柴油的生物柴油数量（从12％到10％）到允许在主管当局最终授权之前在指定区域进行采矿。也经常对环境机构任命军事任命。beplay足球体育的微博

Berenguer补充说：“作为一名生物学家，我无法指挥军事营，因为我没有经验。”“没有技术知识的军事人员可以领导环境机构，这是没有意义的。”beplay足球体育的微博

Rubens Morato Leite, professor of environmental law at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, in southern Brazil, says the legal dismantling exposed by the study is unsurprising, given that the environment ministry is headed by a lawyer, Salles.

“As secretary of the environment in the state of Sao Paulo (2016-2017), Salles had already shown his profile as a manager,” said Morato Leite, who did not participate in the study.

Salles took office as environment minister in January 2019 in the administration of President Jair Bolsonaro. This was despite being convicted in December 2018 of administrative irregularity, for altering zoning maps in the management plans of a protected area around the Tiete River to benefit mining companies.

该研究发现，尽管法律拆除，但民间社会的压力可能限制了损害。

研究人员说，在大流行期间，对环境问题的新闻报道进行了强烈的报道，而科学家已经写了许多信件并进行了研究以突出该问题。beplay足球体育的微博一些名人和弗朗西斯教皇也注意到对巴西土著人民权利的影响。

这篇文章由Scidev.net的拉丁美洲和加勒比海台制作，并为简洁和清晰而编辑。