Summary of Repórter Eco | 19/11/2023

00:00:00 - 00:25:00

In the "Repórter Eco" YouTube video from November 19, 2023, the reporter discusses the urgent need for conservation efforts to save giraffes from extinction due to human activities. The population of giraffes has decreased by 40% in the last 30 years, leaving fewer than 70,000 adults in the wild. The video also highlights the importance of small-scale agriculture in Brazil, specifically in São Paulo, where organic farming practices are used to conserve soil, water, biodiversity, and consumer health. The focus then shifts to the Atlantic Forest in Brazil, where protected areas play a crucial role in preserving various animal and plant species, water sources, and relationships between people and nature. A recent study revealed the existence of over 1,500 municipal conservation units, four times more than official records. The importance of these lesser-known units is emphasized, as they cover only 10% of the total Mata Atlântica territory and protect an area of 5.2 million hectares. French photographer and environmental activist Yan Arthus-Bertrand discusses the need for effective conservation efforts and financing mechanisms to protect the Atlantic Forest, which covers approximately 15% of the total area but has four times more protected areas in municipalities than those registered in the National Register of Conservation Units. The video also features French reporter Bernardo Retrato, who expresses his concern over humanity's indifference towards climate emergencies and the need for public awareness and involvement to create a better world for all. The program concludes with a promise of more projects, actions, and research aimed at addressing environmental issues in the next episode.

• 00:00:00 In this section of the YouTube video "Repórter Eco | 19/11/2023," the reporter discusses the potential extinction of giraffes due to human activities. The population of giraffes has decreased by 40% in the last 30 years, leaving fewer than 70,000 adults in the wild. Giraffes, the tallest mammal on Earth, are beloved for their grace and long necks. However, new studies warn of the grave threats caused by human actions, including habitat loss, poaching, ecological and climate changes, and lack of enforcement. Conservationists believe effective environmental laws and local awareness are the best tools to save giraffas from extinction. The video also covers the importance of small-scale agriculture in Brazil, specifically in the production of 80% of the country's food. Small farmers avoid using agrotoxins, which conserve soil, water, biodiversity, and consumer health. In São Paulo, remnants of the Atlantic Forest and clean rivers like Capivari and Monus provide essential environmental services, control temperatures, protect water sources, and offer space for small-scale agriculture. Over 450 families in the Plenitude neighborhood of Chácara Santo Amaro produce organic food, with Antônio Leme, also known as Toninho, being one of them. He took over the organic farming two years ago after the loss of his cunado due to COVID-19 and revived his memories of the land, opening up new learning opportunities.
• 00:05:00 In this section of the "Repórter Eco" YouTube video from November 19, 2023, Toninho shares his background of growing up farming coffee, corn, beans, and other crops in Paraná before moving to São Paulo to work for various companies. He now focuses on organic farming and grows vegetables like cabbage, beets, and radishes with the support of local farmers like Valéria Macoratti, who is a cooperative agriculture leader in the Agroecological Producers of Água Limpa in the southern region of São Paulo. They are located in two protected environmental areas that cover 25% of their municipality, which is important for preserving the Capivari monkeys and apaboror colonies. Toninho and Valéria discuss the importance of preparing garden beds in a curved format, which allows rainwater to flow more slowly and prevents erosion. The United Nations has dedicated the decade from 2021 to 2028 to promoting family farming, which helps maintain employment and income in rural areas while preserving natural environments. The Brazilian government is also attempting to incentivize this type of agriculture through various measures, including reducing interest rates for agricultural financing. Despite this, banks in São Paulo do not understand what agroecological and family farming entail. The conversation between Toninho and Valéria also touches upon the PSA (Payment for Environmental Services) project, as Parelheiros is known as the Amazon of São Paulo. They plan to pay attention to their actions regarding their "Amazon" and discuss the importance of sustainable farming practices. Additionally, the news segment mentions that greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere reached a new record in 2022, with CO2 levels surpassing 50% of pre-industrial levels. The United States and China, the world's two largest polluters, have announced plans to form an alliance to replace the use of fossil fuels with renewable energy sources.
• 00:10:00 In this section of the "Repórter Eco" YouTube video from November 19, 2023, the focus shifts to the Pantanal region in Brazil, where wildfires reached over 3,000 hectares in the first 15 days of November, threatening the Transpantaneira highway and raising concerns about the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme climate events. The video also discusses a study on the Mata Atlântica biome, which revealed the existence of over 1,500 municipal conservation units, four times more than official records. These areas play crucial roles in protecting various animal and plant species, preserving water sources, and promoting relationships between people and nature. The video emphasizes the importance of these lesser-known municipal conservation units, which are distributed among 710 municipalities in the biome and cover an area of 5.2 million hectares, representing only 10% of the total Mata Atlântica territory. The video concludes by highlighting the importance of these local conservation units for the overall conservation of the biome and encourages the creation of economic incentives to encourage the establishment of more protected areas.
• 00:15:00 In this section of the YouTube video "Repórter Eco | 19/11/2023," Yan Arthus-Bertrand, a renowned French photographer and environmental activist, discusses the importance of protected areas in the Atlantic Forest, which covers approximately 15% of the total area, according to a recent study. However, the study also revealed that four times more protected areas exist in municipalities than those registered in the National Register of Conservation Units. The challenge lies in the utilization of the official data system, as many of these units lack a management council and specific plans. The majority of deforestation in the Atlantic Forest occurs in unprotected areas, and within protected areas, deforestation accounts for less than 5%. Bertran emphasizes the need for a diverse range of financing mechanisms to effectively implement and expand conservation efforts, as well as public awareness and involvement from organizations to protect the Atlantic Forest. The interview with Bertran was conducted by Leão Serva, a TV Cultura correspondent, in Bertran's Paris office.
• 00:20:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "Repórter Eco | 19/11/2023," French reporter Bernardo Retrato expresses his concern over humanity's indifference towards climate emergencies. He reflects on how technology, such as drones, has replaced the need for helicopters, and how Greta Thunberg's activism inspired him to stop flying. Retrato finds his film to be sad as he grows older and becomes more sensitive to the world's issues. He criticizes humanity's disregard for the environment and the treatment of animals, stating that nationalism is a plague. The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, is praised for his honesty in addressing the climate crisis. Retrato is currently preparing a film about immigrants and working on a project to renaturalize a land, studying how animals return to territories left untouched by humans.
• 00:25:00 In this section of the "Repórter Eco" YouTube video from November 19, 2023, a French photographer discusses his work documenting the lives of 15,000 people and his plans to photograph nearly 40,000 more. He acknowledges that this is a significant undertaking and shares his current project investigating the jobs and ages at which people pass away, as well as the role of religion in society. The photographer emphasizes that this work is a massive endeavor that he is currently engaged in. The program concludes with a promise of more projects, actions, and research aimed at creating a better world for all in the next episode. [Music plays]