Brazil's president vows to stop deforestation of the Amazon

By James Blears

Brazilian President Elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva made his Amazon pledge at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Egypt. Within six weeks, he'll have the opportunity to transform rhetoric into budding action, following his inauguration. Lula is already promising to halt de-forestation and that it'll be his number one priority.

Sixty percent of what's left of the Amazon Jungle is rooted in Brazil. It spans and covers eight nations. Lula said: "There is no global security without the Amazon. We will do whatever it takes to achieve zero de-forestation." He's also proposing and inviting delegates to hold the 2025 Climate Conference in the heart of the Amazon, to show them the vital importance of what they're helping to save. During the past two years the cutting down of trees there has reached a fifteen year high.

To make good on his promises, Lula must chip away at te powerful vested interests of agriculture, logging and mining, holding them in check, accountable and responsible and holding them back. He's going to establish a Climate National Agency and he's calling on the World to contribute to the Amazon Fund. In years to come the results of all this will become evident. Without the Amazon, the World will be gasping and choking from carbon-based emissions, which will poison it`s atmosphere.

The Amazon is key to preventing this. Time is steadily running out.