Amapá forests 'clean' 10 million tons of CO2

Amapá is the only state in Brazil that besides cleaning the own amount of pollutants, can 'clean' the pollution generated by other units of the Federation.

Amapá has a forest patrimony capable of kidnapping all the amount of CO2 produced in the state. Also, there is a balance to free the atmosphere of 10 million tons of carbonic gas - the main villain of global warming.

The data from Estimation System of Greenhouse Gases Emissions (Seeg), was presented by renowned environmentalist Alfredo Sirkis, currently executive director of Centro Brasil no Clima, this Monday (9), in Macapá.

He was in the capital of Amapá for the 13th meeting of the Amapaense Forum on Climate Change and Environmental Services, held by organs of government and civil society entities to debate actions on climate control. The event was at the State Secretary of Environment (Sema).

Sirkis was a councilman of Rio de Janeiro for several mandates, Secretary of Environment of the city, and writer of "The Carbonaries". The book talks about militancy and of his group during the civil-military dictatorship of 1964.

According to him, this situation in Amapá, unique in Brazil, due to the number of conservation areas or indigenous areas. It reaches 70% of the territory of the state of Amazonas when added together.

Amapá's environment secretary, Robério Aleixo, emphasized that the carbon market can be one of Amapá's development paths.

"This event crowned with the presence of Sirkis has this importance: we understand our pioneering role in the country and even in the world. In the carbon market, Amapá can seek one of its development paths," said the secretary.

Interview

The SelesNafes.com talked to the environmentalist and questioned him about the environmentalist defense of this forest heritage in the state of Amazonas, and the social ills that the state still faces.

SN Portal: Amapá presents critical social indicators, such as the second-highest rate of unemployment in the country. Also, our metropolitan region currently concentrates about 70% of the state's population. People used to stab to death in the peripheries, today there are murders with firearms anywhere in the city. How can social and environmental issues be equated?

Alfredo Sirkis: It is an international articulation work that must be done. Amapá has this potential. It is clear that it must be done from the States. The federal government won't help at this point. Amapá has this situation that calls a lot of attention: it is the only of the 27 Brazilian states that is negative carbon. It should not be an opportunity to say "So let's deforest" and deforestation doesn't create jobs. What creates jobs is that you create economic and productive chains, of the açaí type. You walk around the U.S., and in every state you have açaí, so it's a success story. The forest produces a series of things, for food, cosmetics, pharmaceutical industry and this can be improved and leave Brazil with higher added value. Besides, low carbon agriculture can be made without damages to the environment. Including wood extraction, if done with rationality, environmental handling, can help to advance over the difficult social indicators that Amapá and Brazil are going through nowadays. It has to do things well. Amapá's potential is huge, it is not easy, but it has to know how to promote itself, and it is possible to raise many resources.

SN: How do you transform these brands into brands and, with this, raise resources for the state?

AS: Amapá has a lot of opportunities, but it has to be able to promote itself and show that it does much more than others. Some states have been receiving carbon credits to reduce their deforestation and CO2 emissions. Amapá must arrive in New York, California, Europe, and demand the creation of parameters that reward those who do much more than others. Who has credit must have subsidies to advance socially, boost the economy.

Source : Sales Nafes