Brazil’s Congress has passed long-awaited legislation to save the country’s remaining stands of Atlantic Rainforest, the once-vast tropical woodland that retains a patchwork presence in 17 mainly coastal states. Last month the lower house of Congress, the Chamber of Deputies, voted unanimously to conserve the remaining 37,000 square miles (95,000 sq kms) of the rainforest, which includes primary, secondary and climax woodlands. Though the Chamber had passed the bill in Dec. 2003 (See “Bill seeks to save what’s left of Brazil’s Atlantic Rainforest”—EcoAméricas, Mar. ’04), the legislation languished for three years in the Senate, which eventually revised and approved it. In such circumstances, the Chamber of Deputies must vote on the amended Senate bill or vote again on the original version. It... [Log in to read more]