Amazon rainforest
Region in Brazil. Part of Brazil.
At a glance
| Source | Author | Role | In one line |
|---|---|---|---|
| Not the End of the World | Hannah Ritchie | subject | The chapter dwells on the Amazon: the false ‘lungs of the Earth’ oxygen claim is debunked, then the real loss (about 20% of the Brazilian Amazon, 11% overall) and the rate history are laid out. |
| Not the End of the World | Hannah Ritchie | subject | Brazilian beef is blamed for a quarter of global deforestation, and the text addresses whether soy grown in Brazil, 97% GM and mostly animal feed, is destroying the Amazon, concluding that tofu and soy milk are not the cause. |
Not the End of the World — Hannah Ritchie (2024)
Source: Not the End of the World · Readwise highlight
Pre-1970, the Brazilian Amazon spanned 4.1 million km2; today, that stands at 3.3 million km2.
- Role: subject
- In the book: The chapter dwells on the Amazon: the false ‘lungs of the Earth’ oxygen claim is debunked, then the real loss (about 20% of the Brazilian Amazon, 11% overall) and the rate history are laid out. Deforestation doubled in the 1990s-2000s, fell 80% under Lula to 2010, and rose again after.
- Why it matters: The Amazon is the central subject of the deforestation chapter’s first half and the test case for whether deforestation can be ended quickly.
Not the End of the World — Hannah Ritchie (2024)
Source: Not the End of the World · Readwise highlight
Brazil is home to the Amazon. The Amazon is being cut down.
- Role: subject
- In the book: Brazilian beef is blamed for a quarter of global deforestation, and the text addresses whether soy grown in Brazil, 97% GM and mostly animal feed, is destroying the Amazon, concluding that tofu and soy milk are not the cause. Brazilian beef is also cited as needing lots of land taken from the rainforest.
- Why it matters: The Amazon is the symbolic site of the deforestation argument, used to separate beef and animal feed from plant-based foods. The argument is framed around this one rainforest.