Free public talk: Rainforest: Use It or Lose It March 13, 2012

A report from the front line of conservation and sustainability.

In the context of last minute efforts to resuscitate and extend the Kyoto Protocol at the COP 17 in Durban, and in preparation for next year’s UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio + 20), what efforts are being made in Brazil and internationally to ensure the future of the last great rainforests?

How reasonable is it to expect Brazil and other rainforest countries to go against the tide of history and preserve their forests in the context of rapid development—more particularly in the cases of Brazil and Indonesia, two members of the BRIIC countries? What are some of the mechanisms by which policy makers at local, regional, and national levels can be encouraged to value and preserve natural resources in the face of conflicting demands for minerals, energy, and food crops?

Binka Le Breton is an award-winning author, environmentalist, and activist who lives in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest where she co-directs the Iracambi Research Center, working with the local community to protect the rainforest and improve rural livelihoods. Iracambi focuses on research and education, GIS, public policy, sustainability, and water and forest monitoring—all in the context of climate change.