If you haven't had your fill of news from the
Amazon lately (we've recently had live
webcasts and slideshows
from regions where fires have swept through), Monday's edition of Panorama is
dedicated to the largest rainforest on Earth, and Greenpeace will featured.
Called Can Money Grow On Trees?, it will
examine how the rising cost of food is threatening the Amazon as more forest is
converted into farmland for cattle ranching - the current dry season provides an excellent
opportunity for a bit of fire-based forest clearance. Also included will be the
question of whether financial mechanisms (like our own proposal) can be brought
in to make forests more valuable if they're left standing.
We haven't seen the final programme, but it's
on BBC1 at 8.30pm, with a repeat on Friday 12 September at 12.45am. Of course,
you can watch
it at anytime on the wondrous iPlayer after transmission (although only if you're in the UK).