BRASILIA, Brazil, Oct. 20 (UPI) -- According to a Brazilian nonprofit called Imazon, over 150 square miles of forest was cleared in the Amazon just in the month of September. That means there has been an 190 percent increase in deforestation since the same time last year.
The information is based on satellite data collected by the nonprofit. The Guardian claims this is part of a trend resulting from the government building relationships with agribusiness groups and lowering the priority of environmental goals. The government is expected to release its official numbers for the level of deforestation in the coming weeks.