I was unhappy to see the New York Times report today that, despite decades of hysterical reports to the contrary, the Amazonian rain forests are actually doing quite well. My displeasure is a result of reading an early galley of David Grann’s fantastic book, The Lost City of Z, which is about Col. Fawcett’s legendary disappearance into the Amazon and Grann’s (slightly gonzo) attempt to find his remains. The book is crackerjack stuff–I can’t recommend it enough–but one of the overwhelming impressions you get is that the Amazon’s rain forests are a deadly false paradise. There’s nothing charming or beautiful about it; it’s nothing but a vast killing field for sentient life. It’s funny how the environmental movement romanticizes some habitats and scorns others. You never hear anyone fretting about deserts. You don’t see little theme restaurants centered around swamps. But we make a fetish of rain forests which must be protected against being turned into useful, civilized land.
