BRASILIA, Brazil — The Brazilian government has revised upward the amount of Amazon rain forest destroyed last year.
But it’s still the lowest figure since tracking began two decades ago.
The Environment Ministry now says 2,703 square miles were destroyed between August 2009 and July 2010. That’s the period the government uses to find annual deforestation figures.
Earlier, the government had said 2,490 square miles were destroyed.
Officials measure the destruction using satellite images and revisions normally take place.
The Amazon rain forest absorbs carbon dioxide and is arguably one of nature’s best defenses against global warming. About 20 percent of Brazil’s Amazon has already been destroyed.
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