A Critical Conversation on Climate Change ... - Green Choices

314 development dialogue september 2006 – carbon tradingDried-out swamp forestnear abandoned farm,October 2003.with local people, killing fish and birds. Plantar has planted eucalyptusat river springs, drying them up and also contaminating themwith pesticides that kill animal life in the streams. Plantar’s contaminationof local drinking water sources with pesticides has also causedthe death of many emas, large land birds related to ostriches. Thecommunities of Cobú, Paiol de Cima, Canabrava and Boa Mortehave been forced to dig artesian wells. Cattle-ranching does not causesuch negative impacts on water, and produces a greater diversity ofgoods, including meat, milk, leather and manure.Plantar: We have been accused of drying up rivers, but in fact somestreams dry up naturally for a few months, due to the seasonalityof rainfall normal to the cerrado. They recover later. Of course, aswith any fast-growing species, eucalyptus needs underground water.Never theless, scientific studies have shown that, as long as they areproperly managed, as our plantations are, eucalyptus plantations donot reduce water supply to specific regions. Careless grazing and othertraditional practices are more harmful to hydrological systems thaneucalyptus plantations.Locals: A Minas Gerais Parliamentary Investigation Commissionfound in 2002 that Plantar was practising illegal outsourcing of labourthat negatively affected the safety and livelihoods of charcoalworkers. It cited ‘precarious labour relations, abominable workingconditions, slave and child labour and deforestation of the cerrado’ aswell as ‘infamous’ wage levels. It also found problems with housing,hygiene, drinking water, food and transport, and noted that Plantarwas in breach of International Labour Organisation provisions regardingfreedom of trade union organising. The Federal Public Ministryof Labour has sued Plantar for illegal subcontracting and forced it