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70% of plants found to have anticancer properites are found only in the rainforest

The Brazilian Congress, influenced by the agribusiness sector, seeks to change the Forest Code in Brazil to open more of the Amazon rainforest to be cleared. Not only will this destroy forested areas in the Amazon no longer protected by the Forest Code, but the clearing and burning of these lands will release millions of tons of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere—making the impacts of climate change much worse.

Manaus, Brazil, emerged as an important port city in the nineteenth century during the rubber boom. Today, with more than 1.7 million inhabitants, it is the largest city in the Amazon Basin. It is located on the banks of the Rio Negro (darker, to the left) at that river's confluence with the Amazon River (lighter, to the right). Although it is 1450 kilometers upstream from the Atlantic Ocean, Manaus remains an important port city for oceangoing vessels. It currently exports rubber, Brazil nuts, lumber, and various fruits. Recent discoveries of oil and manganese (used in steel production) may further invigorate its economy. Surrounding this city for hundreds of kilometers in all directions is dense rainforest. Because there are no bridges spanning the rivers in the vicinity of Manaus, ships are used to transport goods across these rivers.