The bad news is that Amazon deforestation is on the rise, for the first time in three years. The good news is that, if you give me enough time, I may be able to think of an upside for this. But, at the moment, nothing’s really coming to me.

The Associated Press reports that due to rising demand for soy and cattle, farmers have been razing forest land in the Amazon at a faster clip, noting:

Some 8,147 square kilometers (3,145 square miles) of forest were destroyed between August 2007 and August 2008 a 69 percent increase over the 4,820 square kilometers (1,861 square miles) felled in the previous 12 months, according to the National Institute for Space Research, or INPE, which monitors destruction of the Amazon.

Saying that the government is “not content” with the development, Brazilian Environmental Minister Carlos Minc said that actoins are being taken to try and slow the deforestation. From the article:

Brazil’s government has increased cash payments to fight illegal Amazon logging this year, and it eliminated government bank loans to farmers who illegally clear forest to plant crops.

I could go on and on about how this is not a good thing, but I think we all already know that. The issue is, what can we do about it? As long as there’s an economic incentive to clear the rainforests, people will clear rainforests. So you can cut down on your consumption of beef, so there’s less of an impetus to raise cattle. But, if you want a more immediate effect, you can takepart here to join a Protect-An-Acre program.