Russia would not be the only country to suffer from such a catastrophe. Both of these men realized early on that environmental degradation does not enhance a faltering economy. Unfortunately, both of these campaigns continue to face uphill battles. Every year, a forest area the size of Massachusetts is clear-cut and burned in the Amazon. In 1995, deforestation rates were higher than ever before reported and as the region is drying out, fires are more frequent and harder to control.
Illegal loggers continue to clear land even within protected areas.
The political persecution of Alexandr Nikitin has had a chilling effect on the activities of environmentalists across Russia. Nuclear waste clean up has essentially come to a grinding halt as the secret police divert public attention away from serious environmental threats in order to act out cold war spy novels. Sierra Club's Chico Mendes Award recognizes individuals and organizations outside of the United States who have exhibited extraordinary courage and leadership in their efforts to protect the environment. If governments, including our own, provided greater support for these unlikely heroes, not only would economies become more stable, but the environment would be protected for future generations. Chico Mendes was born in Xapuri, Acre in the western Brazilian Amazon.