More and more nations in the world are acting to make ecocide a crime. Ecocide generally refers to those actions of humans that cause mass destruction to the environment.&nbsp;

Now, Mexico has become the latest country where leaders are mulling to introduce laws on ecocide so that people causing damage to the environment can be booked and their victims can get fast justice.&nbsp;

A bill regarding the same has been tabled in the parliament by a Mexican congresswoman named Karina Marlen Barrón Perales. It must be noted that causing damage to the environment is already a crime in most countries. However, recognition of ecocide elevates the most egregious cases to a crime.

<h2>What’s the new Mexican bill?</h2>

The Mexican bill looks to criminalise “any unlawful or wanton act committed with the knowledge that there is a substantial likelihood of severe and either widespread or long-term damage to the environment”.

Once it is passed, the act of ecocide will attract jail time for up to 15 years and a fine as high as $75 per day. In Mexico, the push to criminalise ecocide comes as the country's government faces backlash over its extensive Maya train project, which poses a threat to Indigenous communities and carries the potential for severe environmental harm.

Watch:&nbsp;Financial boost to conservation efforts

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Congresswoman Barrón Perales, representing the opposition PRI party, urged her fellow legislators not to overlook Mexico's environmental degradation and to pass the new bill.

<h2>States where ecocide is already recognised?</h2>

Only a few states in the world have already criminalised ecocide, including Russia, Ukraine and Vietnam. In fact, Ukraine is already pursuing a legal case of ecocide against Russia for allegedly breaching the Nova Kakhovka dam.

In Europe, France became the first country to criminalise ecocide in 2021. Although experts fret the language of the law is not as strong as sought by environmentalists.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/shattered-climate-records-show-world-is-on-existential-brink-622713">Also read:&nbsp;Shattered climate records show world is on existential brink</a>

Politicians in countries like Belgium, the Netherlands and Scotland are also contemplating legislation to deter environmental damage in their countries.

<h2>Can movement against ecocide save Brazil’s Amazon?</h2>

In Brazil, a nation where the deforestation in Amazon rainforest is repeatedly decried as a crime, the political party PSOL submitted an ecocide bill to Congress in June.

Rodrigo Lledó, the director of Stop Ecocide Americas, mentioned that Brazil's proposal marked the first of its kind in Latin America to officially reach a national legislative chamber. Other countries in the region, including Argentina and Chile, have also shown growing interest.

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More and more nations in the world are acting to make ecocide a crime. Ecocide generally refers to those actions of humans that cause mass destruction to the environment.

More and more nations in the world are acting to make ecocide a crime. Ecocide generally refers to those actions of humans that cause mass destruction to the environment. Now, Mexico has become the latest country where leaders are mulling to introduce laws on ecocide so that people causing damage to the environment can be booked and their victims can get fast justice. A bill regarding the same has been tabled in the parliament by a Mexican congresswoman named Karina Marlen Barrón Perales. It must be noted that causing damage to the environment is already a crime in most countries. However, recognition of ecocide elevates the most egregious cases to a crime. What’s the new Mexican bill? The Mexican bill looks to criminalise “any unlawful or wanton act committed with the knowledge that there is a substantial likelihood of severe and either widespread or long-term damage to the environment”. Once it is passed, the act of ecocide will attract jail time for up to 15 years and a fine as high as $75 per day. In Mexico, the push to criminalise ecocide comes as the country's government faces backlash over its extensive Maya train project, which poses a threat to Indigenous communities and carries the potential for severe environmental harm. Watch: Financial boost to conservation efforts × Congresswoman Barrón Perales, representing the opposition PRI party, urged her fellow legislators not to overlook Mexico's environmental degradation and to pass the new bill. States where ecocide is already recognised? Only a few states in the world have already criminalised ecocide, including Russia, Ukraine and Vietnam. In fact, Ukraine is already pursuing a legal case of ecocide against Russia for allegedly breaching the Nova Kakhovka dam. In Europe, France became the first country to criminalise ecocide in 2021. Although experts fret the language of the law is not as strong as sought by environmentalists. Also read: Shattered climate records show world is on existential brink Politicians in countries like Belgium, the Netherlands and Scotland are also contemplating legislation to deter environmental damage in their countries. Can movement against ecocide save Brazil’s Amazon? In Brazil, a nation where the deforestation in Amazon rainforest is repeatedly decried as a crime, the political party PSOL submitted an ecocide bill to Congress in June. Rodrigo Lledó, the director of Stop Ecocide Americas, mentioned that Brazil's proposal marked the first of its kind in Latin America to officially reach a national legislative chamber. Other countries in the region, including Argentina and Chile, have also shown growing interest. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Ecocide movement: Several countries move to criminalise actions that damage environment

The largest city in Brazil’s Amazon has closed bars and river beaches to contain a fresh surge of coronavirus cases, a trend that may dash theories that Manaus was one of the world’s first places to reach collective, or herd, immunity.

When a large portion of a community becomes immune to a disease, its spread becomes unlikely.

University of Sao Paulo researchers suggested that a drastic fall in COVID-19 deaths in Manaus pointed to collective immunity at work, but they also believe that antibodies to the disease after infection may not last more than a few months.

Local authorities on Friday enforced a 30-day ban on parties and other gatherings, and restricted restaurant and shopping hours, a setback for the city of 1.8 million after the worst of the pandemic seemed to be behind them.

In April and May, so many Manaus residents were dying from COVID-19 that its hospitals collapsed and cemeteries could not dig graves fast enough. The city never imposed a full lockdown. Non-essential businesses were closed but many simply ignored social distancing guidelines.

Then in June, deaths unexpectedly plummeted. Public health experts wondered whether so many residents had caught the virus that it had run out of new people to infect.

Research posted last week to medRxiv, a website distributing unpublished papers on health science, estimated that 44% to 66% of the Manaus population was infected between the peak in mid-May and August.

The study by the University of Sao Paulo’s Institute of Tropical Medicine tested newly donated banked blood for antibodies to the virus and used a mathematical model to estimate contagion levels. The high infection rate suggested that herd immunity led to the dramatic drop in cases and deaths, the study said.

Daily burials and cremations fell from a peak of 277 on May 1 to just 45 in mid-September, according to the mayor’s office. The COVID-19 death toll that officially peaked at 60 on April 30 dropped to just two or three a day by the end of August.

Now the numbers are on the rise again.

The study’s lead researcher, Ester Sabino, declined to be interviewed for this article because the Manaus herd immunity study awaits peer review for publication.

Authorities warned Manaus residents they were ignoring the virus and risked a second wave of contagion by not wearing masks, packing into bars and attending parties. They shut down Manaus’ river beachfront where raves were being held.

Manaus Mayor Arthur Virgilio blamed right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro, who has minimized the gravity of the pandemic, for encouraging a return to normal life and work instead of waiting for a vaccine to be developed.

“The government must take this seriously and speak the truth. If it says there is no problem, that encourages people to ignore our decrees,” the mayor told Reuters in an interview.

Epidemiologist Dr. André Patricio Almeida, of the Adventist Hospital of Manaus, said cases are rising again mostly among younger, wealthier people who go to bars who show milder symptoms but often infect older relatives who need to be treated in hospital.

Almeida said too little is known about COVID-19 and whether re-infection is possible to verify if herd immunity was reached in Manaus, but some short-lived immunity probably had been attained.

“There could be immunity that does not last for long,” Mayor Virgilio agreed.

The Sao Paulo University study said coronavirus antibodies appeared to wane after just a few months, which could explain the resurgence in Manaus.

“Something that became evident in our study - and that is also being shown by other groups - is that antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 decay quickly, a few months after infection,” one of its authors, Leis Buss, said in a statement by the São Paulo research foundation FAPESP that accompanied the paper.

“This is clearly occurring in Manaus,” Buss said.

The largest city in Brazil’s Amazon has closed bars and river beaches to contain a fresh surge of coronavirus cases, a trend that may dash theories that Manaus was one of the world’s first places to reach collective, or herd, immunity.

The largest city in Brazil’s Amazon has closed bars and river beaches to contain a fresh surge of coronavirus cases, a trend that may dash theories that Manaus was one of the world’s first places to reach collective, or herd, immunity. When a large portion of a community becomes immune to a disease, its spread becomes unlikely. University of Sao Paulo researchers suggested that a drastic fall in COVID-19 deaths in Manaus pointed to collective immunity at work, but they also believe that antibodies to the disease after infection may not last more than a few months. Local authorities on Friday enforced a 30-day ban on parties and other gatherings, and restricted restaurant and shopping hours, a setback for the city of 1.8 million after the worst of the pandemic seemed to be behind them. In April and May, so many Manaus residents were dying from COVID-19 that its hospitals collapsed and cemeteries could not dig graves fast enough. The city never imposed a full lockdown. Non-essential businesses were closed but many simply ignored social distancing guidelines. Then in June, deaths unexpectedly plummeted. Public health experts wondered whether so many residents had caught the virus that it had run out of new people to infect. Research posted last week to medRxiv, a website distributing unpublished papers on health science, estimated that 44% to 66% of the Manaus population was infected between the peak in mid-May and August. The study by the University of Sao Paulo’s Institute of Tropical Medicine tested newly donated banked blood for antibodies to the virus and used a mathematical model to estimate contagion levels. The high infection rate suggested that herd immunity led to the dramatic drop in cases and deaths, the study said. Daily burials and cremations fell from a peak of 277 on May 1 to just 45 in mid-September, according to the mayor’s office. The COVID-19 death toll that officially peaked at 60 on April 30 dropped to just two or three a day by the end of August. Now the numbers are on the rise again. The study’s lead researcher, Ester Sabino, declined to be interviewed for this article because the Manaus herd immunity study awaits peer review for publication. Authorities warned Manaus residents they were ignoring the virus and risked a second wave of contagion by not wearing masks, packing into bars and attending parties. They shut down Manaus’ river beachfront where raves were being held. Manaus Mayor Arthur Virgilio blamed right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro, who has minimized the gravity of the pandemic, for encouraging a return to normal life and work instead of waiting for a vaccine to be developed. “The government must take this seriously and speak the truth. If it says there is no problem, that encourages people to ignore our decrees,” the mayor told Reuters in an interview. Epidemiologist Dr. André Patricio Almeida, of the Adventist Hospital of Manaus, said cases are rising again mostly among younger, wealthier people who go to bars who show milder symptoms but often infect older relatives who need to be treated in hospital. Almeida said too little is known about COVID-19 and whether re-infection is possible to verify if herd immunity was reached in Manaus, but some short-lived immunity probably had been attained. “There could be immunity that does not last for long,” Mayor Virgilio agreed. The Sao Paulo University study said coronavirus antibodies appeared to wane after just a few months, which could explain the resurgence in Manaus. “Something that became evident in our study - and that is also being shown by other groups - is that antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 decay quickly, a few months after infection,” one of its authors, Leis Buss, said in a statement by the São Paulo research foundation FAPESP that accompanied the paper. “This is clearly occurring in Manaus,” Buss said.

In Brazil's Amazon a COVID-19 resurgence dashes herd immunity hopes

A new study has revealed that the trees in the world's largest rainforest are losing their ability to absorb carbon.

The study tracked 300,000 trees over 30 years, providing the first large-scale evidence of the decline in carbon uptake by the world’s tropical forests.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/wion-edit-amazon-fires-challenge-to-india-and-developing-world-246303">Amazon Fires - Challenge to India and Developing World</a>

It was published on Wednesday in the journal Nature.

For the last three decades, the amount of carbon absorbed by the world’s intact tropical forests has fallen, according to the study from nearly 100 scientific institutions.&nbsp;

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chaotic-climate-chaotic-cities-fuel-brazil-flood-toll-284386">Chaotic climate, chaotic cities fuel Brazil flood toll</a>

They are now taking up a third less carbon than they did in the 1990s, owing to the impacts of higher temperatures, droughts and deforestation. That downward trend is likely to continue, as forests come under increasing threat from climate change and exploitation.

The Amazon could turn into a source of carbon in the atmosphere, instead of one of the biggest absorbers of the gas, as soon as the next decade, owing to the damage caused by loggers and farming interests and the impacts of the climate crisis, new research has found.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/bearing-brunt-of-climate-change-240729">Bearing brunt of climate change</a>

If that happens, climate breakdown is likely to become much more severe in its impacts, and the world will have to cut down much faster on carbon-producing activities to counteract the loss of the carbon sinks.

''We’ve found that one of the most worrying impacts of climate change has already begun,” said Simon Lewis, a professor in the school of geography at Leeds University, one of the senior authors of the research.&nbsp;

''Humans have been lucky so far, as tropical forests are mopping up lots of our pollution, but they can’t keep doing that indefinitely,'' he said.

''We need to curb fossil fuel emissions before the global carbon cycle starts working against us. The time for action is now,'' he added.

A new study has revealed that the trees in the world's largest rainforest are losing their ability to absorb carbon. The study tracked 300,000 trees over 30 years, providing the first large-scale evidence of the decline in carbon uptake by the world’s tropical forests.

A new study has revealed that the trees in the world's largest rainforest are losing their ability to absorb carbon. The study tracked 300,000 trees over 30 years, providing the first large-scale evidence of the decline in carbon uptake by the world’s tropical forests. Also read: Amazon Fires - Challenge to India and Developing World It was published on Wednesday in the journal Nature. For the last three decades, the amount of carbon absorbed by the world’s intact tropical forests has fallen, according to the study from nearly 100 scientific institutions. Also read: Chaotic climate, chaotic cities fuel Brazil flood toll They are now taking up a third less carbon than they did in the 1990s, owing to the impacts of higher temperatures, droughts and deforestation. That downward trend is likely to continue, as forests come under increasing threat from climate change and exploitation. The Amazon could turn into a source of carbon in the atmosphere, instead of one of the biggest absorbers of the gas, as soon as the next decade, owing to the damage caused by loggers and farming interests and the impacts of the climate crisis, new research has found. Also read: Bearing brunt of climate change If that happens, climate breakdown is likely to become much more severe in its impacts, and the world will have to cut down much faster on carbon-producing activities to counteract the loss of the carbon sinks. ''We’ve found that one of the most worrying impacts of climate change has already begun,” said Simon Lewis, a professor in the school of geography at Leeds University, one of the senior authors of the research. ''Humans have been lucky so far, as tropical forests are mopping up lots of our pollution, but they can’t keep doing that indefinitely,'' he said. ''We need to curb fossil fuel emissions before the global carbon cycle starts working against us. The time for action is now,'' he added.

World's largest rainforest losing its ability to absorb carbon: Study

'Genocide, ethnocide, ecocide': Brazilian tribes call for protection of Amazon from Bolsonaro

Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon rainforest rose to its highest in over a decade this year, government data on Monday showed, confirming a sharp rise under the leadership of right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro.

Brazil's INPE space research agency said deforestation reached 9,762 square kilometres, up 29.5%, for the 12 months through July 2019.

That's the worst level of deforestation since 2008, heaping further pressure on the environmental policy of Bolsonaro who favours developing the Amazon region economically.

Environment Minister Ricardo Salles told reporters in a briefing on the figures that Brazil would roll out a series of measures to counter the rising deforestation, including stepping up enforcement efforts assisted by high-resolution satellite imaging.

Salles said he would meet with governors of Amazon states on Wednesday to further discuss tactics to counter deforestation, adding that the figures show a new strategy was needed and that sustainable economic opportunities must be developed in the region.

The Amazon is the world's largest tropical rainforest and is considered key to the fight against climate change because of the vast amounts of carbon dioxide it absorbs.

Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon rainforest rose to its highest in over a decade this year, government data on Monday showed, confirming a sharp rise under the leadership of right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro.

Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon rainforest rose to its highest in over a decade this year, government data on Monday showed, confirming a sharp rise under the leadership of right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro. Brazil's INPE space research agency said deforestation reached 9,762 square kilometres, up 29.5%, for the 12 months through July 2019. That's the worst level of deforestation since 2008, heaping further pressure on the environmental policy of Bolsonaro who favours developing the Amazon region economically. Environment Minister Ricardo Salles told reporters in a briefing on the figures that Brazil would roll out a series of measures to counter the rising deforestation, including stepping up enforcement efforts assisted by high-resolution satellite imaging. Salles said he would meet with governors of Amazon states on Wednesday to further discuss tactics to counter deforestation, adding that the figures show a new strategy was needed and that sustainable economic opportunities must be developed in the region. The Amazon is the world's largest tropical rainforest and is considered key to the fight against climate change because of the vast amounts of carbon dioxide it absorbs.

Brazil Amazon deforestation soars to 11-year high in 2019

A Human Rights Watch report on Tuesday (September 17) found that more than 300 people have been killed over the past decade in conflicts over the use of land and resources in the Amazon, many by organised criminal networks profiting from illegal deforestation.

Hundreds killed in Brazil's Amazon over land, resources in past decade -report

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