NEW AMAZONAS GOVERNOR SAYS "MAN IS CENTER"
By Bob Van Leer

  (MANAUS, BRAZIL, OCT. 13, 1990) - Today our party attended part of Forest 90, the First International Symposium on Environmental Studies on Tropical Rain Forests.

  The symposium was held at the Tropical Hotel, a five star hotel on the Rio Negros at the edge of Manaus. I sat in on part of the general session but it was conducted in Portuguese so there was not much gained there. This was the last day of the conference and we were fortunate in getting a briefing of the activities from Dr Dorival Correia Bruni, chairman of the conference, and John Maddock professor at the State University of Rio de Janiero, a conference organizer.

  Maddock said the conference was structured to produce a final document with positive recommendations, mainly to the Brazilian government but also to a general audience about the problems. He said there was strong consensus in some areas but not in others.

  The strongest consensus is that fiscal incentives to clearing the jungle without a definite end purpose for the clearing need to be dropped. Maddock said the government has cut some incentives already but all incentives for deforestation should be removed.  He said, instead, there should be some disincentives. For instance, it would be easy to levy a higher tax on cleared, unused land. Another recommendation is to make land available to the landless in the main part of Brazil, the south. He said there are two kinds of deforestation. One is large concerns burning enormous acreages for cattle ranching. The other is those immigrating from the rest of Brazil. They come to the jungle desperate for land because they don't have access to it in the main part of Brazil. Another recommendation difficult to implement is to study all land beforehand to see what is the minimum viable size of plots. Immigrants settle on plots not large enough to be viable and this leads to more deforestation as they get one crop and move on.

  Plots on poor soil have to be larger. He also said it is important to provide agricultural credits and means of marketing products.

  On the physical side, Maddock said burning of the forest has effects on the atmosphere greater than might have been thought. High concentrations of ozone are generated. This not good for the forest or us also.

No "Green Lung"

  One thing Maddock wanted to rule out, the "green lung" idea that the forest purifies the air. He said the forest is a stable system, it doesn't take excess carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. The existing forest is a stable system and the net effect on carbon dioxide is zero.

  Maddock criticized international interference as strongly as did the industrialists we talked to yesterday. He said Brazil hears from the international community, "criticism, crying and complaints". But when help is needed very little money comes to us.

  As to what the U.S. can do to help, he said the idea of debt exchange for jungle stirs unrealistic feelings, but is not dead yet. He did say the way is not open for large tracts of land to be managed by outsiders.

  He said the Smithsonian Institute is very active in research and recommended support. One area he said needed help is people working in extractive reserves. They will never be rich but are people who have traditionally lived there and what they need is decent schooling and medical services. These do not now exits.

  Maddock said U.S. pres. George Bush has promised help in Brazil's debt and Bush is scheduled to be in Manaus Dec. 2.

  Maddock said no roads are needed to develop "extractive reserves", in which products are taken out of the jungle but the forest maintained in its natural state, such as gathering Brazil nuts. In his own opinion the rivers should be used for transportation for the reserves. He would also like to see processing and packing in small plants in the villages for more of the profits to remain at the source.

  Bruni said in the last 10 years about 10 percent of the forests out of government control was destroyed. The new federal government has a higher credibility and is showing some willingness to control the situation. However, Maddock said the new governor of Amazonas is a veteran politician who has been quoted as being of the opinion that he would be happier to cut down the whole forest and plant sensible and nice trees. The jungle is huge, four million square kilometers, 40 percent of the whole of Brazil. Bruni said there is a lack of resources to control the area. Only two helicopters are available for enforcement.

"Man is Center"

  The international edition of Newsweek Magazine quoted the new governor, Gilberto Mestrinho, as saying, "The center of ecology is man himself, and I will be governor of men and not of forests and animals". The magazine goes on to say, "Facing growing unemployment and rising prices, many Amazonians are ripe for Mestrinho's message - that ecologists threaten their livelihood".

  Maddock said differences with international agencies did not preclude working with them but Brazilian agencies need to be involved.

  We heard one delegate criticize lack of participation from Asia and most of Africa (except Nigeria) in the conference.

  Tomorrow we are going by cruise boat on the Amazon to the Negros River and there go for a canoe ride into the jungle.