RAIN FOREST CUT DOWN

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The Amazon is being cut down to feed the world's demand for soya [EPA]The rate of destruction of the Amazon rainforest has risen sharply over the last five months of 2007, the Brazilian government says.
About 366sq miles of the Amazon, known as "the lungs of the world", was destroyed in December compared to just 94sq miles in August, according to satellite images taken of the area.
Environment ministry officials said that preliminary figures could double as satellite images with higher resolution are analysed.
"We've never before detected such a high deforestation rate at this time of year," said Gilberto Camara, the head of the National Institute for Space Research (Inpe), which provides the satellite imaging.
Between August and December, 1,250sq miles of the world's largest rain forest were destroyed.
Joao Paulo Capobianco, the ministry's executive secretary, said the figures were "extremely worrying".
Conflicting claim
Only a few months ago, Luiz Inacio "Lula" da Silva, Brazil's president, said his country had managed to reduce deforestation by 50 per cent in the two years up until July 2007. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TO SEE THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE REFER TO AL JAZEERA ON YOUR INTERNET. . . ..DATED JANUARY 24 2008.

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