Brazil - world's newest bad guy

"Every year, we add less and less carbon into the atmosphere. The world's bad guys who are getting worse however - get very little press. So I will help out. China, India and Brazil." 

Want to become vilified these days? Just do something - anything - which is considered to be detrimental to the climate. Like Brazil for example. Burning some of their rain forest. And who is the baddest of the bad right now? Newly elected President Jair Bolsonaro. Or as his nickname goes - "Captain Chainsaw". The charge by the world press? "Captain Chainsaw" is ruining the "world's lungs". Try living with that reputation! 

I remember as a lad, doing a research paper on Brazil. How Brasilia, its capital since 1960, was going to be the city of the future. I found this large South American country to be fascinating. Loaded with natural resources, and plans for growth which were out of sight. It was going to be the country to watch as we headed towards the 21st century.

What is the issue then? For this country rich in everything, why have so many fires been set in the now sacred rain forests? Land. Plain and simple, land. The rain forests are pretty to look at, good for tourism, and home to some exotic species - but the land is not good for putting food on the table. Now to clear cut some of those forests, let the land dry out and then burn it to let the ash fertilize it - now we are talking. Great for cattle country.

So now "Captain Chainsaw" has two strikes against him. Not only is he ruining the "world's lungs", but he is doing it so he can raise more dreaded meat products. For that, he might just be worse than Hitler.

Here is the issue. Sovereignty. The world may think he is a jackass for letting the farmers set fire to land which belongs to Brazil, but - it is land which belongs to Brazil. What does the UN want to do? Send in the blue helmets and take over? Stage a coup from outside of Brazil? Basically, there is nothing the world can do other than bitch and moan. Plus - plant more trees in other locations. I mean, I have done my part. I have planted over 100 trees on my lot since we have moved here 30+ years ago.

The only good thing I read in the press about this issue in Brazil, went like this - "With the Amazon rain forest fires, it might be game over for climate change." Really? Does that mean we can stop hearing about climate change, 24 X 7 from the press corp now? Or, here is another angle.

I have railed about this for a long time now. WE, the UNITED STATES, are the good guys in "man made climate change". How so? Every year, we add less and less carbon into the atmosphere. The world's bad guys who are getting worse however - get very little press. So I will help out. China, India and Brazil. 

How will this end? I have no clue. Brazil's reputation however, especially under "Captain Chainsaw" will take years to mend - if ever. As that old Chiffon Margarine saying goes, "It is not nice to fool (or mess with) Mother Nature."