In South America, the largest civil trial involving crimes against nature has taken place. A Brazilian farmer who decided to expand pastures at the expense of destroying part of the Amazon forest was fined a record amount.
According to The Guardian, although the area was public land, Dirceu Kruger took illegal steps: he cut down 5,600 hectares of the Amazon forest with a chainsaw, then set fire to the forest to destroy the evidence, and finally planted grass to create pasture. Satellite photos revealed the extent of the destruction, so the farmer had to admit his guilt.
The Attorney General's Office filed a civil lawsuit, saying the farmer's actions harmed the climate in two ways. The first is that the burning of vegetation directly led to the emission of greenhouse gases. The second is that the removal of part of the forests reduced the absorption of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
The destruction of one hectare of the Amazon rainforest results in the release of an average of 161 tons of carbon dioxide. In the case of Mr. Krueger's crime, 901,600 tons were thrown away. Damages are estimated at USD 65 per ton (approximately EUR 59 per ton), based on calculations by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.
Total damages are estimated to exceed USD 50 million (around EUR 45 million), which the defendant must pay to the National Climate Change Fund.
Brazil's federal court froze Kruger's assets. He is prohibited from selling livestock and agricultural products, as well as from buying cars. In addition, the farmer must restore the ecosystem that he destroyed to restore the absorption of carbon dioxide.
This is the largest civil trial ever conducted in Brazil for damage to nature and the climate. Prosecutors hope that the court's verdict will deter other potential forest destroyers.