[FlyingSideKick]

As a citizen of the United States (a country that cut down nearly all of its old-growth forests) what can I do as an individual to slow down deforestation in the Amazon? What are some real solutions I could enact that would make any difference?

The situation feels hopeless until the Brazilian government makes a sweeping effort to preserve the Amazon and that it's laws are fully enforced.

[llukas]

If you're anything close to average then you can actually work on reducing your family carbon footprint US has 16.3 tons per capita and Brazil has 2.6.

https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/EN.ATM.CO2E.PC?location...

US also sucks compared to EU so being first world country is not an excuse.

[russianbandit]

Unfortunately, the Brazilian government is corrupt af, and is only interested in preserving their wealth.

[rolltiide]

In my experience, the only difference between corruption and other wealth preserving tactics is mere respect for the form of due process

If respect isnt there, its corruption

If respect is there, its the law

[r00fus]

Corruption isn't a wealth preservation tactic. It's an exploitation tactic.

Whether you're strip mining the earth's resources, stripping away the wealth of the nation, subverting the moral/political culture or simply just amassing ill-gotten gains, corruption is the proven method.

[rolltiide]

Many places have deep histories and convoluted legal practices, which from an outside perspective gets dismissed as corruption, but internally it is considered due process

Its just that the observation goes both ways

[r00fus]

Corruption as due process? That's an incredible stretch.

[rolltiide]

and I'm telling you its not.

The idea that rule of law basically doesn't exist and isn't the method of choice in perpetuating a circumstance in "these other corrupt countries" is overly broad and often inaccurate

[SmellyGeekBoy]

Seems this deforestation is to support cattle farming - so don't buy Brazilian beef?

[NikkiA]

One of the biggest recipients of that cattle farming is still McDonalds, after 40 years of people protesting them being involved, and them repeatedly saying they were fixing it.

[dvh]

Buy a lot (in US), plant trees.

[londons_explore]

Buy some plots of land in the Amazon.

It's very cheap, although the paperwork is both expensive and time-consuming.