The Amazon Belongs to Everyone: Project Syndicate

Leaders often reject advice on how to manage development or resources within their national borders, yet the effects of pollution or resource depletion can have global consequences. Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro contends that the Amazon is Brazil’s to exploit. “His promotion of the rainforest’s development and attacks on environmental regulation have led, for example, to the expansion of agribusiness, particularly cattle ranching, and illegal logging,” writes Danielle Hanna Rached for Project Syndicate. “Moreover, because the Amazon River is the world’s largest single source of freshwater runoff, the rainforest’s hydrological cycle has a major influence on Earth’s climate, as well as serving as a massive carbon sink, absorbing more carbon dioxide than it releases.” Europe can stem the exploitation through its trade agreement with the Mercosur bloc of Latin American countries. Access to European markets is conditional based on international rules like the 2015 Paris climate agreement, highlighting the value of trade agreements with strong environmental standards. The essay concludes that no economy can thrive on its own, and nations must hold one another accountable for environmental damages that cross borders. – YaleGlobal