Amazon Rainforest in Unexpected Trouble

The victory that was the preservation of the vast Amazonian rain forest is hollow, new satellite images show.

The Brazilian government had successfully cut down on illegal logging, and expanded protected areas by 60%, according to the Chicago Tribune. But three years of progress have been undone by new scars in the "earth's lungs" that show as much as 2,700 square miles denuded anew. That's about half the size of Connecticut.

The longterm health of the forest is of worldwide importance. Global warming is having an effect on the forest, though logging and clearing for farming are greater immediate threats. As the forest disappears, though, it affects both the local and global climate. The local climate loses a huge source of moisture, which sustains the rain forest; without it, the region could be transformed into a savanna. And as the forest is cleared, massive amounts of carbon dioxide are released into the atmosphere, adding to the growing burden on the climate.

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