When Bolsonaro took office in 2019, he sabotaged efforts to curb illegal logging and mining. The result was not pretty: Deforestation in the Amazon jumped by 60%. But with his presidency over, Luis Sinaso Ula Dassila has promised big changes.
The economics are clear-cut: the benefits of preserving the lungs of the world vastly outweigh those of felling trees. We travel to the Amazon and find that the problem is largely down to lawlessness in the world’s rainforests. And reflecting on the life of Oe Kenzaburo, a Japanese writer shaped by family crisis who gave voice to the voiceless.
For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer